It appears I may have made a mistake with the prologue. First thing to say is, well, thanks for the comments and the lack of trolling, which is hard to find on the internet. I'm sorry for making you all wait, but here we are.
*Deep breath*
It's time.
I was always content to just keep on fantasizing about my stories. But here I am writing about them.
Just so you know, Shirou's tale isn't the start of this story. That started a bit of a while before he came in, but this is the one I'm writing about.
I will not have any OCs in this fic, or at the very least, MY OWN. Expect to see references or even cameos to other authors and stories.
If you need some reference, well, just take a look at the fic "In flight Gaiden: Playing with Tropes" I can say without a shred of dishonesty that I didn't copy SatireSwift in any way, but the premise of Shirou being hurled to different dimensions against his will is somewhat in the same vein. Even his outfit has a similar concept to the one I have planned for Shirou here, but again, I did not copy this guy.
Though he lacks the ridiculous power of UNLIMITED TROPE WORKS, that's for sure.
And for those who are still quite confused, well, I don't blame you. Review/PM me, and I'll try to enlighten you if I can.
... Let's get this started.
*Dimensional Crossing*
Mind Break
In the middle of the night, I am jolted from my slumber by a mysterious presence. Every single battle alarm goes off in my head and a set of blades very nearly appears in my hands.
And then I see the one who awakened me.
An old man with slicked back hair and eyes of crimson. His robes are as black as the night, and in his hand is a jeweled sword filled with otherworldly power.
There's only one man I know who would ever fit that kind of description.
"Wizard Marshall Zelretch. What are you doing here?"
The old man simply laughs and speaks to me in his usual leisurely voice. "Oh come on, boy, aren't you happy to see me?"
"I'm certainly surprised to see you..." I shake my head, standing up and making sure I don't wake up Saber. "But as I asked, what are you doing here?"
"Bah, always business as usual. Can't you just calm down and greet an old man properly for a while?"
I sigh and am about to go out to wake everyone up when he says, "Hold on boy. This matter is a secret only concerning you."
My eyes narrow at his words, and for some reason, his smile is lost, replaced with sad, almost mournful expression.
My own becomes emotionless, as does my voice. "What do you want, Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg?"
He gives a sigh, almost regretful. "Listen. I have a few things that I need to talk to you about. And they aren't pretty at all."
This is one of the few times when I've ever heard of the old man in front of me being serious.
That does not make me feel any better at all.
"What is it? Is something going to happen here in Fuyuki?" I have to get the others now. This could potentially endanger the entire city, and possibly much more if the Wizard Marshall himself is here.
"Hah, no…" He gives a bitter laugh. "The fact of the matter is that nothing's going to happen anywhere here at all."
Confusing, mysterious words. "What are you talking about? If nothing's going to happen, why talk to me at?"
"…Who said nothing's going to happen?' He tells me after a pause. "I just said it won't be anywhere here."
Again, my eyes narrow. "So it's not in Fuyuki, and yet you've asked for my help?"
"Let's just say that there are places that are out of even my reach as a Sorcerer of the Kaleidoscope."
My eyes widen with shock. Parallel worlds that even the master of the Second Magic himself cannot reach?
"Places that even you can't go to? Such worlds exist?" This is unbelievable. I'm one of the first magi in the world to know of this, just a simple apprentice, even considering that one who could very well earn a Sealing Designation for his forbidden magic.
He nods. "Not worlds, boy. Entire universes and multiverses which I cannot hope to set foot upon or even see no matter how much I may try."
My jaws drop. Universes! Entire universes and multiverses!
"But why are you telling me this then, Wizard Marshall? If even you can't manipulate or go to them, why come to me and tell me about them?"
"Because, boy…" And here, his tone almost becomes apologetic. "I can't reach them. But you can."
My jaw drops and becomes dry with all the disbelief. I, of all people, will go to them?
"What? I can? But you just said even you can't lay hand nor foot there! How can I? And for what purpose?"
"I don't know. The only thing I know is that you'll be going to one of them… Tonight."
I suddenly regain my composure and clench my fists. "And who told you this?"
"Some people that made themselves known to me, just last month. And much as I don't want to do this, I'm going to have to..."
"You know what I do to some of the apprentices back at the academy, right?"
My eyes widen as I make the connection. "You transpose personalities from their alternate versions, right?"
He nods at me. "I'm going to do something different. I'm going to make you see visions of three of your alternate selves, and versions of their alternate selves. They all went through the Grail War, but the trials, tribulations and the battles they went through were almost impossibly different from each other."
"Why should I let that happen?" I ask him, a bit of an edge in my voice. "I'll go insane if you go through with this!"
"No you won't. Of that I can assure you. I don't know why, but they asked me for this favor and I couldn't say no."
Remorse enters his voice. "I'm sorry, Emiya Shirou. I have nothing against you. I really like you and what you've done for my apprentice, I really do. It's just that things have gotten bigger than I could've ever imagined and well…"
He looks at me bitterly. "… I'm sorry."
I lunge at him, reinforcing my legs in an attempt to interrupt the spell.
Right before I reach him, he snaps his fingers.
"AGHHHHHHHH!"
My head contorts and burns with pain. I collapse onto the ground and hold it, unable to handle it as multiple visions close in on me at the same time.
"People die when they are killed… That's how it should be."
"I don't mind losing against someone… But I can't lose against myself!"
"Yeah, this is for hurting me so much… I'm going to mercilessly destroy your wish."
The madness. The pain. The agony.
Elimination of human rights by castration, exile, executionTorture and sadism upon the body through digestionHis body is made of swordsDenial by consensus of the colony that eliminates all honorHis blood is of iron his heart is of glassScornGrudgesDeath PenaltyImprisonmentCustodyI have survived through countless battlesSelfInterestUnconsiciousCrimeNot even once have I retreatedSelfConsciousCrimeCivilWar InducementStatment Not even once have I been understoodTheftRobberyKidnapI was always aloneSuicideRapeArsonBombing ViolationHomicideMassViolence RapeDeathConcelament LoveRespect SelfishConcealmentIntoxicated by victory on a hill of bladesMurderTheftWarCrimes AttackDirtyAtone KindnessMalignace EvilPenaltyEveryViolence AtoneForEverythingSurely, my life has no meaning.
For my body is made of infinite blades.
"UAAGHHHHHHHH!"
I can't take it anymore.
I collapse onto the wooden floor, unable to take the strain of memories, images, the trauma, the burning, agonizing pain.
The last words I hear are the bitter sorrows of an old man.
"Forgive me Shirou Emiya… Forgive me…"
Crossroads
In another universe, a dimension housing the finest of the people who travel the universes to find their purpose there and complete it, two of them are watching a young red-haired boy, one of the newest possible recruits for the organization.
One of them is uncharacteristically solemn. His clothes are clad in red and black, and twin swords are at his side. His brown hair is impossibly spiky, with two tails of it somehow sticking out at the back of his head. He looks at the boy with pity, as he knows him well, having fought alongside him during the war that changed his life... One of the possibilities, at least. It always amazed him that people his age were always chosen.
The other joins in observing the new arrival with the same expression on his face. His clothes are dark, complimenting the golden sheathe in his hands. His hair is long, reaching halfway down his body. It's purple, bringing him an aura of mystery and shadiness, and yet no one would question that he's a fine friend to have.
"I can't believe we had to do that to him..." The first one mourns regretfully. He shakes his head, showing his disapproval.
"I know... They didn't have to do that. They could've just called him in like they did with the rest of us," the second one agrees, gritting his teeth as he does so.
"You know he might not have gone along with it. It sounds way too much like being a Counter Guardian. You know what that could mean for him," the red swordsman woefully explains what he was told.
"Big deal. Like that mattered for the rest of us."
The red swordsman simply remains silent, while the black one sighs out, "And where the heck are the other two? Shouldn't they be here?"
"They gave them a break. Ruling your hometown and taking care of your sick future wife can sometimes warrant a short vacation, apparently."
The more cynical of the two manages a small chuckle in response. "Well, those two do deserve a bit more time off. It's a shame alchemy boy wasn't around to hear you say that." He turns to his companion, saying, "And you need some time off too. I mean, can't they at least give you enough time to clear your name? For god's sake people think you're a murderer and a sadistic bastard for something you didn't even do! I'm not too OK with being here either, but at least there's not much for me to do back home!"
The idealistic swordsman gives a bitter smile in response. "The guys who run this place are really weird, aren't they? I don't know what they think sometimes... But I just deal with it."
Looking at his watch, he sees that it's finally time. He looks at the boy, shaking his head again. "Three Grail Wars worth of pain, suffering, battles, victories... Damn Shirou, they really did a number on you."
Having stabilized his condition, the red traveler gets a watch different from his own and an unusual bracer. He sets them onto their proper places and steps back, waiting for what's to happen next.
"Well Shirou... It's time for you to go now. It'll be your first job, and considering how you do things it definitely won't be your last."
The black traveler walks up to the red one and gets a closer look at the boy. He's heard much about him and was honestly looking forward to working with him, but both he and the rest of his fellow walkers agree that the less of them, the better.
"He'll be alright, won't he?"
Despite all of his regrets, the traveler of fire smiles and nods. "Unfortunately for us and not as much for him, he likes saving people. That often makes him forget about everything else."
Sighing, the black wind goes back to his famous smirk. "Well, it'll be fun having him around, that's for sure."
With that, the black traveler leaves, and the red one remains there as the portal opens and sends the boy on his first adventure.
"... Well then. It's time for us to talk for a bit."
...
...
...
Nothing.
Nothing but silence.
I only see darkness. A body devoid of any capability to do anything.
Somehow, it is moving. The destination is unknown, why it's moving at all is unfathomable... And yet it is floating through the mysterious paths, all the way to... somewhere.
"Hey. How's it going?"
A voice reaches out to me. Who is it? Who is talking to me?
I try to ask the question that will enlighten me. But my mouth, my body can't move at all.
"Experiencing three wars worth of memories... It must have been painful, Shirou."
The speaker pities me, tries to offer comfort. I try to respond in kind, and yet all I can do is think, who is this man? What does he want with me, and what does he know?
"Can't move, huh... Don't worry, everything will be fine soon."
How can anything be fine? Where am I going? What is happening to me?
The questions remain unasked as my mouth tries to sound out, create words that have meaning. Yet it cannot, for this body cannot move.
"You've been given a tough job, Shirou. Away from home, away from all of your friends... It'll hurt. It'll be hard. We can't tell you what you have to do... We can only support you from afar."
So much confusion, so many mysteries... I want to know what's going on, but I can't question what's happening.
"But know this Shirou. Your mission may be difficult, it may be dangerous and painful. I can only tell you this. Just be yourself, follow your beliefs... and everything will be fine."
For some reason, a small spark lights up in my head. Now that I think about it, I know this man's voice. I can't connect it, my mind is fragmented beyond belief... but it's repairing now, slowly being put back together.
"You'll get your answers soon... Just trust me. And when you do, well... That's that."
The promise of answers... It's enough to put my mind at ease.
"... It's time Shirou. Time for your journeys to begin. A new life is ahead of you... What you make of it is all your own. Do your best, buddy. We're all rooting for you."
The man's assurances somehow make me smile, his nostalgic voice reminding me of old times...
I can almost open my eyes now. And when I do...
I enter the light.
*Awakening, the Nurse's House*
"Oh… You're waking up!"
A mysterious feminine voice makes me slowly open my eyes and awaken. I look around for the source of the voice.
What enters my vision is a pink haired girl with a white blouse, the sleeves detached. Her neck has what appears to be a black choker with a heart-shaped emblem. A black hairband is wrapped around her head, and she's wearing a similarly colored skirt with white boots.
"How are you feeling?" She appears to have cared for me and nursed me back to health while I was unconscious…
"I'm fine thank you…" I try to sit up, but I can't. "Ugh…"
"Please, just continue resting! You were out for almost three days now, so please just lie down!"
Three days… My god…
"And you took care of me, in your own house?" She nods at me, and I smile at her. "Thank you very much. I'm grateful for all the concern and for everything else."
My caretaker blushes and looks away from me. "I-it's nothing… I'm a nurse-in-training! It's what I ought to do! My grandpa always said to help those in need, because it's the right thing to do!"
"A nurse… Well, I can respect you for that. And your grandfather is definitely right." A nurse… Someone who truly saves lives by bringing them out of the grip of death… People like them have a better reason for existing than people like me, one who saves through battle…
"Ah… Th-thank you…" Her face reddens a bit more. I continue smiling as I ask, "What's your name?"
Trying to compose herself, she sits up and answers, "I'm Compa! It's very nice to meet you!"
I look at her, confused. "Just Compa? No other names? Just the first name, Compa?"
She nods at me. "Yap! That's how it is!"
"OK…" She must have parental issues if that's the case… "I'm Shirou. Shirou Emiya. It's very nice to meet you, Compa-chan."
Compa flushes with red again. "Eheheh… Y-yeah, same with me Shirou-san…"
I try to move my hands again. "Well, I appear to be at normal functioning levels and nothing's broken… That's good…"
Feeling better about myself, I try to sit up again when Compa suddenly pushes me down…
Wait, why are her hands so warm?
"D-Don't sit up! Y-you need to rest and…"
"Compa-chan," I begin, wondering why she's flustered and as well as that, "Why are your hands so warm?"
"Ah-ah…"
I look down at my chest beneath the covers as I sit up. What I find out is…
That I'm half-naked, the scars left by Lancer's deadly spear still staring back at me…
My eyes widen and my jaws drop. I look up to face her, and find that her face is so close to mine, and her green eyes are locked on both my chest and my own golden eyes…
Both of our faces redden and turn away from each other as I ask, "C-Compa-chan… Where is my shirt?"
Her face becomes even more flushed. "W-well, I had to check if your chest had any scars and injuries and… Stuff like that and I kind of forgot to put it back on…"
A very disturbing shiver runs up my spine.
Why do I feel like she's telling the truth about everything except the 'forget' part?
"I-I see..." I'll accept her admittance for now, but something in the back of my head tells me I shouldn't…
I decide to focus on other things. I take a look at the room I'm in right now.
Why is there so much pink?-! And the walls… They're covered with hearts!
It's so girly… But I guess I can expect that, I suppose… She is a girl…
I take a look outside the window and find it rather unusual that the sky seems so close by…
Which reminds me.
"Er, Compa-chan… Where am I?" I ask, curious as to where I am. The nurse-in-training replies quickly, "Oh! You're in my house!"
I palm my face at her painfully obvious reply. "No, as in… Ugh, fine, where is your house? Where exactly are we?"
She looks at me oddly. "You don't know?" I nod at her, confirming her guess. "I was unconscious for three days, and the last thing I remember is me being in a black haze…"
Her expression changes into a sad frown of empathy and pity. "Oh… I see… So you don't remember…"
Again, I confirm her guess. "How exactly I got here, I don't know. So I'm very disoriented." I then remember another important detail and inquire, "And how exactly did you find me and bring me here anyway?"
She then straightens and explains, "Oh, it was incredible! I heard a big crash outside my house, and when I went out I saw you there!"
And again, my eyes widen. "I fell from the sky… And landed here…"
I see… I suppose I have Avalon to thank again for me being alive…
"And then you took me inside." She nods at me to confirm. I put a hand on my chin. There are so many possibilities… But what could this mean…
"OK, Compa-chan," I continue. "Now that I know about all this, I'll ask again. Where am I?"
She nods at me, ready to tell me the answer. "You're on the most advanced of all the landmasses, Planeptune!"
… What?
"Pla… Neptune?" I parrot out, very confused. She nods again and repeats, "Yes! Planeptune!"
"OK… I've never heard of a place like that…"
I take another look at her and she's staring at me like I'm an abnormal person or a helpless child or something. "What? What's wrong?"
"You've never heard of Planeptune?" She asks, very, very slowly.
I nod at her. "No. No I have not."
She ponders this for a minute and then asks, "So… Do you have amnesia?"
At her words, I'm about to answer no when I stop myself and reflect.
I have no idea where I am. If I tell her I don't, she may get curious and try to dig out more information. If I'm not careful, I might accidentally reveal the secrets of thaumaturgy, and I'll have Enforcers on me faster than I could ever react, in a place I have no idea about. I'm already on shaky ground for possibly getting a Sealing Designation.
"… Yes. I do have a bit of amnesia."
It's not like I'm lying completely. I lost everything from before the fire twelve years ago, including my self-worth. The only life I know of is that of me as Shirou Emiya.
She almost seems sorrowful at my revelation. "Oh… I'm sorry…."
"It's fine," I assure her, feeling a bit peeved with myself with how sad she's become. "Hey, it's OK. It's fine, don't worry about it. It's not your fault."
She looks up at me and smiles. "OK then… But you should be OK soon!" She says, cheering up. "I'm pretty sure that with time, you'll be able to remember everything!"
I smile at her, somewhat bitter.
If my suspicions are true, I may never 'regain my memory'.
At least, she won't ever know.
"Yeah… I hope so too."
As we smile at each other, I remember I'm pretty much still half-naked and I ask somewhat embarrassed, "Err… Compa-chan… Can I have my clothes now?"
Her face heats up fiercely and she scrambles away from me, saying, "S-sure! I'll get them, no problem!"
And thus she runs out of the room, looking for my clothes.
I am then left to review what just happened.
I look inside my battered head and find a chaotic pool of memories, inserted there by Zelretch himself.
Contradictions. Paradoxes. Impossibilities.
Pain. Suffering. Sorrows. Defeats. Deaths.
Determination. Rage. Power. Glory. Victories.
Three different versions of the Grail War. Countless ways to win and to die.
It all makes sense now. Every single detail of the War that seemed to be strange in my head came from combinations of these possibilities... How do I know about Saber Alter, how is Saber herself actually ALIVE, if I killed her in such cold blood? How did I finish off Kotomine Kirei while unleashing Unlimited Blade Works on Gilgamesh?
How did I survive actually EXPERIENCING all this?
It's staggering... But the questions will be answered later... I find that mysterious devices are wrapped around my arms...
On my left wrist is a watch with a very futuristic style: Simple, with grayish metal and glass display showing the time.
I've never seen such a watch before, of that I am sure of.
So why do I know that it has more functions besides that?-!
I press one of the buttons on the screen and my surprise only heightens when I find out that, yes, it can be used as a cellphone, a music player and many other things besides that!
I don't even have a normal cellphone, so how am I handling this?-!
I sigh and decide to go to the profile section.
I switch the screens and my surprise turns into a mixture of shock and confusion.
"Dimensional Traveler registered.
Name: Shirou Emiya
Assigned to unit: Walkers.
Real-time age: 17
Current biological age: Fully Synchronized with real-time age
Age at origin: Desynchronizeded at a current time of three days, two hours, fifty minutes and fifty seconds and counting. Time at origin now slowed to a period of two months to one day.
Other status indicators to be updated later."
I look at the direction of where the nurse went and wonder if I should sneak up on her, knock her out, get my clothes and run. Could she have put this device on my arms and gotten data on me?
What is all this data doing here?
And what the heck does all this synchronization stuff mean anyway?
No, no, no. Think positive, Shirou. She took care of you for three days. If he was trying to interrogate you, kill you, or hand you over to the Mage's Association, she would've done so already...
Benefit of the doubt. Right...
Suddenly, my hands begin glowing with energy, and all of my previous fears are resurrected as I feel the watch becoming one with my Reality Marble. I grab my arm and shut down my screams... And the pain goes away. To my horror, a symbol is displayed on my screen.
A symbol of my Command Seal.
What's going on?
I'm becoming even more alarmed now. I hide my watch under the blankets as I hear the nurse's footsteps sounding again.
"Ah, here you go, Shirou-san… I tried my best with it!"
I examine her, my expression emotionless.
"Compa... Did you put these devices on me?" I decide to probe one last time. If she really did, then I'm out of here. The fact that she hasn't handed me over means she deserves at least this much before I consider my next option.
Her reply surprises me. "No, that's something amazing! You had them with you when I found you! I tried to take them off, but they wouldn't budge at all! It's like they're superglued... or something!"
I note the awe in her answer. She seems to be sincere. I sense no ill will from her and she nursed me back to health.
I suppose she's clean then.
"I see... Thanks, Compa-chan." She hands me the shirt and I stand up as I put it on. It feels comfortable knowing that I have it on me, and oddly it feels like the only thing the same as me…
"So, um… would you like to have breakfast, Shirou-san?"
Her question makes me remember that I actually haven't eaten in over three days and I enthusiastically tell her, "Alright then. I'll just make my way over to the kitchen now and whip something up…"
Before I can make my way there, she holds me back and says, "No! You just sit at the table and wait! Don't tax yourself, you just woke up!"
I look at her and plead with her, "I'm OK, really, please let me cook! I'll feel better if I will!"
She cringes at that and lets go of me. "Oh… I see… OK then…"
OK, this is just cheap. How can I enjoy cooking when I know I had to make a girl sad to do it?-!
Sighing, I console her and say, "OK then, Compa-chan… You can cook for me."
She brightens up again and smiles at me. "Oh, thank you Shirou-san! Don't worry, I won't let you down!"
With that, she dashes off into the kitchen while I'm left to sit at the table and wince at the horrifying abundance of girlish pink and cuddly bears and hearts…
First Meal
"OK then Shirou-san! Food's ready!"
I hear the nurse's declaration and look in the direction of the kitchen, and find that she has brought in a delectable set of dishes. The usual rice and miso soup are there, it appears to be tofu miso. But the main course is nikujaga, its meat, potatoes and onions giving a mouthwatering aroma that mixes so well with the sweetened soy sauce.
"My goodness… It smells so good…"
She beams at me. "Thank you, Shirou-san! I hope you enjoy it!"
We sit down and clap our hands together. "Itadakimasu!"
And thus, the meal begins.
I take the chopsticks, mix in the rice and some miso soup, and taste it. It's good, very good.
But that's the simple one.
I take some rice again. I mix it in with the nikujaga and take a little bit of all the ingredients. With that, I put all of the food into my mouth and bite.
"Compa-chan… This is amazing." Everything, from the meat, the potatoes to the onions mixing together with the soy sauce… It comes together perfectly.
At my praise, Compa blushes again and responds weakly, "Eh, it's nothing…"
As I eat the breakfast, I begin finding out more about the girl who cared for me. "So, you live here by yourself?"
The girl nods at me, a bit sad. "Yes... My parents died when I was young..."
My jaw drops at the apparent landmine I set off, but seeing my reaction, the nurse quickly apologizes, "But it's OK! My grandfather takes care of me, and I really love him a lot! He's a really great caretaker!"
That still doesn't excuse my invasive question and I move to apologize. "But still... I'm sorry, Compa-chan. I didn't mean to remind you of such things..."
As she tries to assure, I instead switch to a different topic. "So, um, how old are you?"
The pink-haired nurse smiles at me and answers, "I'm sixteen years old, studying to be a nurse as I told you! How about you, Shirou-san?"
"Seventeen… last I remember. " I answer as politely as I can, adding in the second part to not mess up my alibi. "I'm an amateur mechanic, I have a talent for it. I could actually become an engineer if I wanted to, and I'm seriously considering it," I elaborate further just to make up for my earlier insensitivity.
She brightens up at my words. "Really? Oh, That's wonderful! Planeptune's famous for its advanced technology, and Lastation's also looking for engineers like you! You can go far with skills like that!"
Wait… Another landmass? And they're both advanced in technology…
"Ah, thanks. I'll think about it." I don't know how long I'm staying here, but taking a few odd jobs before I find my way home would be sufficient to repay the girl who took care of me.
"Oh, by the way, Shrou-san... where did you get such a horrible wound?"
I then remember that for three days, the girl in front of me tried her best to heal such a fatal mark. It is impossible to heal a wound made by that spear, and yet she tried her best.
The thought makes me smile.
"A horrible time I suppose," I tell her, yet another half-truth escaping me. Though it pains me to do such things to her, I have to makes sure she doesn't know anything about the Association. Who knows what could happen if she came to know about such things?
"B-But, it went straight through your heart! How... How did you..."
"Don't worry about it, Compa-chan," I tell her. "It must have been a long time ago. It's probably healed by now, so don't worry."
Well, it sort of has. I'm certainly not dying, so I'm fine for now.
"OK Shirou-san... But just be careful, OK?" She tells me, unaware of just how many times I've done things people would probably call 'not even sensible at all'.
"I'll try, I'll try..." I then move on to my own question to change the topic. "Tell me about where I am and the other... landmasses. This Planeptune, this Lastation… Everything."
The food's been finished at this point. Compa looks up from eating the meal and nods, agreeing to lecture me. "I never left Planeptune, so I'm sorry if my explanation isn't too much!" I acknowledge her disclaimer and she begins.
"You have Planeptune, the most scientifically advanced of all the four landmasses. It's also really nice and beautiful and stuff!"
"OK…" I mutter out, taking in her rather simple explanation.
"Next we have Lastation, Planeptune's rival of sorts. It's trying to outdo Planeptune in terms of science and technology. Most people find it really dirty and polluted though…"
I nod again, taking note of all the information.
"Next is Lowee. It's a land of snow, so it's really cold. They don't focus on technology there, but they better the people's lives with magic!"
I latch onto the last word Compa says, which makes my eyes widen.
"Magic?" Did I hear that right?
"Yes!" The nurse confirms her sayings and my jaw drops.
Magic? Being revealed to the public and used to better people's lives? Magic?
But that's impossible. The Mage's Association would never have any of it, and the properties of magecraft specifically prevent it from being used in such a way.
But I don't let her know that. "I-I see…" This is an incredible new discovery… Who knows what else I could get from this little talk?
"And the last landmass is Leanbox. It's a lush, green landmass that's the most in tune with nature! It focuses on eco-friendly methods of living!"
I nod at Compa's explanations. "Thanks Compa-chan, this'll really help." Becoming curious, I ask her, "Why do you keep using the word landmass? Can't you just call them country, or nation or something else?"
Compa cups her mouth, and stands up slowly. "You really lost that much, Shirou-san?" I nod at her, feeling very unsettled. "Yes… Why?"
She asks me to follow her. "Oh… I don't know… Is it too soon for you to walk?"
I tell her that I can. "You're going to rehabilitate me?"
She shakes her head, almost solemnly. "I'm going to show you something."
With that, I stand up, follow Compa out of the doors and into the outside world.
Parallel Universe Gamindustri
"Wow… You have a forest outside your house…" I look around, amazed at the beauty of the surroundings. She smiles at me, though she doesn't seem very comfortable.
"Yes, it's very beautiful… But that's not what I want to show you."
I'm confused by all this, but then she brings me to the back of her house…
And then, I simply lose all sense of rationality.
"Oh my god."
Right behind Compa's house… is the sky. Smaller pieces of land can be seen in the distance, and farther still, are gigantic floating islands with buildings on them, the landmasses…
"Compa," ignoring my lack of courtesy, "Why are we floating in the sky?-! Where on earth are we?-!"
She looks at me curiously. "Um, Shirou-san, I know earth is an element and that we stand on it, but I've never heard of a place called earth…"
I look at her incredulously and shout, "Never heard of a place called Earth? Then where are we?-! What is this place?-! What is this world called?-!"
Silent for a moment, Compa tells me, "Shirou-san… This is the planet called Gamindustri."
…Planet.
Planet Gamindustri.
I cannot comprehend the meaning behind those words…
And then I remember the words that explain everything.
"Let's just say that there are places that are out of even my reach as a Sorcerer of the Kaleidoscope."
I clench the handrails, trembling in horror.
I'm in another universe, unreachable by anyone, not even the master of the Kaleidoscope.
Everything makes sense now. The reason I haven't been handed over to the Association is because there's no Association to turn me in to. And as it's a different universe, magic here may be a completely alien form.
What will happen to me? I'm stuck here, impossibly far away from home, separated from my friends, and they can never reach me...
Fuji-nee... Illya... Rider... Sakura... Rin... Saber...
Was this what was coming? Was this what the universe... Fine, whatever higher power controls all existence was waiting for?-! Waiting for me to DARE, even for just a second, that I could live peacefully, then taking that chance away JUST TO SCREW WITH ME?-! IS THAT WHAT I'M DESTINED FOR?-!
"Shirou-san, what's wrong?-! You're bending the rails!"
Hearing the words of the girl beside me makes my panic subside. I can't lash out at her, take out my anger on someone who cared for me and did her best to heal impossible wounds... It just wouldn't be right...
"Compa-chan… I'm sorry. May I please stay in your house a little longer?" I don't know what else to do here. All I can do is just stay here, then maybe take some time to go to the other landmasses... It's probably impossible... But I have to find my way home, no matter how long it'll take for me to do it.
The girl looks at me sorrowfully and nods. "OK, Shirou-san… I'll let you stay."
With sincere gratitude, I bow to her and say, "Thank you so much… I won't be here long, I promise."
She smiles at me again, though a bit sadly. "I wish you wouldn't have to leave..."
"Did you say something?" I ask her, rather curious as to what she was asking of me.
She becomes flushed with red and she rapidly shakes her head to deny that she said anything. "N-no, no I didn't…"
"Huh… If you say so." I then ask yet another favor of her. "Can you please show me around the city?"
Planeptune's Central City
I thus follow Compa around Planeptune's Central City.
Looking around the city, I whistle as I voice my amazement. "When you said this place was advanced, I didn't know you meant by this much!"
All the buildings are sleek and built from the ground up with some mysterious sturdy and durable alloy which doesn't exist back on my world, possibly even my universe.
"Well, Planeptune has been at it for quite a while, and I can tell you that they have the best engineers and scientists in the world!"
I look in awe at the futuristic city, when I see Compa change her demeanor into a downtrodden one. "Although… It would be much more advanced if the monsters weren't around…"
The tone of her voice the possibility of trouble intrigues me and makes me pay attention. "What's this about monsters?" This could really be serious. I hope they're nothing like the phantasmal beasts I've seen…
Turning to me again, she begins explaining. "Planeptune's been hurt a lot by the monster attacks… Oh, if only goddess Purple Heart-sama were here…"
Wait… Goddesses?
"Goddesses? You worship goddesses here?"
Compa nods at me. "Each landmass has a CPU assigned to it to provide a blessing to the landmass to protect it from monsters: Purple Heart-sama for us, Black Heart-sama for Lastation, White Heart-sama for Lowee and Green Heart-sama for Leanbox. The other three have descended already from Celestia, but Purple Heart-sama hasn't been seen at all…"
Goddesses that protect the people from monsters… I see. Why hasn't the last one helped her people yet?
I can only hope they aren't like the arrogant gods I've seen… Heaven help the people if they're like the Greek gods that produced poor Berserker…
I then notice something important.
"CPU? As in, Central Processing Units for computers? Those are your goddesses?" The goddesses are computers? Are you serious?
She shakes her head. "No, no, no! CPU means Console Patron Unit!"
"Oh," I reply sheepishly. "That's odd, I'm sorry. I was just confused. I mean, the place is called…"
Wait a minute.
Monsters… A problem that affects the entire world... Goddesses called CPUs…
Planeptune... Lastation... Lowee... Leanbox...
Gamindustri?
"OK, this is just really weird."
Am I stuck in a universe that's just like a really weird RPG?
Dear God.
"What? What's so weird Shirou-san?" Compa asks me, confused at my words.
"Ah, no, it's nothing…" Well, I suppose it could be worse.
I could be stuck in an eroge world or something that's filled with perverted hijinks. That would be terrifying.
"Anyway… So, I'll be living with you in your house. I just need to find a job so I won't be a freeloader… Is that OK?"
She seems to have been alarmed. "No, I don't need any payment! It's OK if you just stay!"
"But it's not OK to me," I reply. "I don't want to just mooch off of you while I'm here… Please. Just let me do this…"
Compa, hearing my conviction, nods at me slowly and smiles. "Thanks Shirou-san. I guess we can find a mechanic shop or something tomorrow…"
I nod at her, accepting her suggestion. "OK then… I guess we ought to go back now. It's getting late, and soon it'll be too dark…"
Starfall
After telling Compa that I need some time alone, I take a spot up on the roof and try to figure out what to do.
And I have no idea of what that is. I'm pretty much stuck here... But I'll be damned if I give up now. I'm going to find my way back home, even if it'll take all my life to do it...
I look up at the night sky again.
It was the last true memory I had back home before getting here. Just me, Saber, Sakura, Rin and Rider, all of us gazing up at the night sky, thinking of a bright future and looking forward to tomorrow.
The same thoughts invade my mind.
Naive little fool. You should've known better than to believe that...
Suddenly, one of the stars shines with bright light. I stare at its beauty, when without warning, everything changes.
A falling star.
At the incredible spectacle, I reinforce my eyes to marvel at it, which makes my mouth open up in horror.
In the center of the star... Is a little girl.
"COMPA! GET THE BED READY, A GIRL IS FALLING FROM THE SKY!"
Without waiting for her reply, I jump off the roof and run towards the star, seeing if I can cushion the tiny girl's impact.
I look at the girl again. At the rate she's falling, even worse that it's headfirst, she just might...
NO! I'm not letting that happen!
With nothing but that singular goal in mind, I dash through the dark forest so I can concentrate everything on saving the little girl's life.
I eventually find myself in a large clearing. Right in the center is the impact point. I only have about three seconds before a large crater will be formed by the force of a falling star...
I only have those three seconds to prevent it from happening.
And I will.
I take off.
The difficult part begins.
Three seconds to impact. I can see a barrier of fire and light form around the girl due to the speed of her fall. It obscures her, but it's definitely a girl, that's all I can tell.
This close to her, I can feel the heat scalding me, almost trying to burn me and try to singe my clothes. It hurts, dammit it hurts, but I've felt much worse before, so I shrug it off and focus all my efforts on preventing any harm from coming to the one in front of me.
And then there's the wind, a gust blowing me back and slowing me down. I grit my teeth, clench my fists and reinforce my legs even more, making them hot and full of prana.
Two seconds to impact. The heat is getting stronger and so is the wind.
I don't care.
They're preventing me from saving someone. If they'll get in my way...
I'll just cut through them like a giant sword.
One second to impact. Giving up on my original plan, I take a deep breath and jump with all my might.
The pain is unbearable. The fire scalds my skin, peeling off flesh and making my eyes water. The light blinds me, almost painfully so. I could get through this easily by growing blades, but that will only serve to hurt the one in front of me.
So I, with only my reinforcement, I endure the fire and light.
"UAGGGHHHHHHH!"
I cry out the loudest scream I can manage, a sort of kiai shout that allows me to release all the pain and concentrate all my energy.
That was only one second. But the trauma made it feel that much longer, an eternity of taking away all the energy from my legs and instead flooding it into my arms and hands while cutting through the seething barriers of flames and light.
It was unbearable.
But it was worth it.
In the end, I manage to wrap my arms around the little girl, cradling her in my arms to shield her from our inevitable painful landing.
The force of my jump redirects us. Instead of falling straight to the ground, I instead collide with and send us bounding and tumbling through the forest.
Already forseeing the impending danger, I reinforce the unconscious body in my arms as well as my own endangered back.
As I predicted, we crash into a tree. I swear I broke my back there, my legs are burning with pain, my arms aren't much better, and all the bones in my body ache. In the end, I'm lie there, leaning on the tree and legs sagged to the ground, full of pain and burned out from nearly breaking.
But then I look at the fruit of my efforts, a victorious and joyful expression overcoming me.
The girl is unharmed... Well from the impact, at least. She's bruised and wounded all over, and she has injuries on her legs and hands.
Who could do this monstrous thing to such a child?
It's unforgivable.
She was definitely the source of the otherworldly power I felt, but that level of power, though not as strong as what I usually encounter, is still too impressive to fit the image lying in my arms. She seems to be younger than even Compa, and yet she's so unusual. She has a strange combination of a white and purple hoodie dress, with leggings covering much of her lower body. What stands out, however, is her purple hair. It's much lighter than both Sakura and Rider's. It's significantly shorter than Rider's as well, reaching only her neck, and yet it does a fine job of making her seem like an adorable little child.
She stirs in her sleep, which startles me a bit.
"Guhhh... Oweee... That hurt..."
Her incoherent mumblings just make me chuckle as I clear the bangs from her eyes, responding to her mutterings with my own smile, my eyes closed to signify my happiness.
"Just sleep, little one. It'll be alright. Be free from your troubles. I'll be here as long as I need to be. I promise."
She seems to have heard my words. Her expression changes to one of complete contentment.
She smiles, as though she didn't have a care in the world.
"It feels so nice here... warm... cozy..."
And with that, the little girl in my arms begins to drift off to sleep, cuddling up to me.
It's so calming, so serene to see this almost angelic figure resting in my arms.
I smile to myself again.
This really was worth it. Maybe I might have been sent to another world, maybe it could be full of monsters who could try to kill me at any moment, maybe I might even be trapped here forever.
But I saved this precious life.
That's all that matters.
... Wait, how are my wounds healing?
I look down at myself and find that my flesh is already regenerating, or at least not charred.
I'm literally a universe away... So how is Avalon's healing power still protecting me, and at this level of strength? If I could trace a copy, hell, I might even be able to use its power. What's going on?
Such mysteries... But that impossibility assures me, that I still have some form of connection back home. And I can move at least... Well, in theory. I still have a sleeping weight on me, and I don't feel like disturbing her rest. Sighing, I wonder how long I'll be here...
"Shirou-san!"
Thank God.
"Compa-chan! Thank goodness! Did you prepare the bed already?"
She runs into the clearing, panting. "I... Did... Shirou-sa... EHH!"
I wonder why she's freezing up. What could it possibly be...
It must be the craters.
"I did say that someone was falling from the sky..." I rub the back of my head sheepishly.
She's still not moving... Is there something wrong?
"Compa-chan? What's the matter?"
I feel a little disturbed when she begins to frown and look at me suspiciously.
"Shirou-san... What are you doing with that little girl?"
It takes a moment, but then my eyes widen as I remember the position I'm in.
A little girl is resting on my lap under a tree, the night sky is full of stars and, well, like I said there are a lot of craters.
I begin to panic as I quickly defend myself, holding up my hands in a sign of surrender. "I didn't do anything Compa-chan! Like I said, she fell from the sky and I caught her! I mean it!"
Compa sighs and seems to accept my explanation. "OK then Shirou-san..." She looks around as she walks up to examine the girl. "Wow! I can't believe you actually saw a girl falling from the sky and actually caught her! It must've been rough!"
I simply smile at her and try to hide the fact that most people would've probably died before even getting near the falling girl, let alone surviving that and colliding with a tree with enough force to break your back.
"It was worth it. I saved her life. As long as I help people, it doesn't matter what happens to me."
Compa seems to have become worried at my way of life just like the rest of my friends would. Before she can answer though, something else happens.
The little girl in my lap snuggles up to me, alarming me very strongly.
"...Mmm... So nice... So warm..."
... Why did you do that just now?-!
I suddenly feel that my life is in danger look up in horror see that Compa is smiling at me the way Sakura would when she thinks I'm doing something with Rider!
"Shirou-san... Can you please explain this?"
Her dark smile frightens me to no end. I tremble in fear as I continue to panic, "Please believe me Compa-chan! I didn't do anything to her I swear! Please believe me!" Finding another way, i quickly suggest, "Oh, we have to take care of this girl now! She could be seriously hurt, so we better hurry!"
The dark aura around Compa recedes slightly, showing that she really hasn't accepted my escape but is willing to let it slide for now...
"OK Shirou-san... I'll let it go for now..."
"Thank you, Compa-chan."
Slowly, I stand up, gritting my teeth a bit at the pain in my legs, and carry the girl, supporting her on my back as I wrap my arms around her.
"Well, shall we get going then?"
Compa nods wordlessly at me, as we make our way back to her house.
I feel an odd presence watching us, and I look back to check if anybody's there.
Tightening my grip on the child, I continue following Compa, making sure that I am protecting the one whose life I just saved.
End of the First Day
"Whew... Damn, that was a lot harder than I thought..."
I set the girl down on the patient bed that I myself was just lying down on for the past three days. I let Compa check her and try to treat her wounds, and eventually most of them have healed.
"Well Shirou-san... I'm done for now. All it will take is just for her to rest. I'll put on the bandages tomorrow."
I nod at her, turning towards the resting patient, who seems to have been disappointed at losing my warmth, but at least she's still asleep. I smile at her and tell her, "Good night then little one... Get well soon..."
I then turn to Compa and yawn out groggily. "Compa-chan... I need to sleep... Catching a girl falling from the sky and preventing it from crashing headfirst into the ground at a speed FAR past terminal velocity is exactly as hard as it sounds..."
Compa suddenly remembers all of that and looks towards me, filled with admiration. "Shirou-san... You actually saved this little girl's life, you know? You actually caught a falling star! You're a superhero!"
My eyes widen a bit when I hear Compa's words and I smile warmly at her at her. "Thanks Compa-chan... Thanks."
Compa's jaw drops and she flushes with red.
This reaction is very unhealthy, and I wonder what's wrong with her. She probably needs some rest too...
"Well then... Don't stay up too late and get some rest too, OK?" She nods at me rather embarrassed, and I begin to walk up the stairs again. "Good night Compa-chan... Have a good rest."
After a few brief moments, she raises her head and with a warm smile softly replies, "Goodnight Shirou-san... Sleep well..."
I walk up to the roof again, remembering all that's happened.
After having three different versions of the war that changed my life forever and nearly killed me several times over (and really did kill me many more times over) being crammed into my head by the Sorceror of the Second Magic, I get sent to a planet in another universe called Gamindustri, get a strange watch, have come under the care of a very affable but caring nurse and at the end of it all saved a girl that was hurtling down towards death from the heavens from crashing and losing her life.
So ends my first day here, in this brave new world.
I look up at the night sky and wonder if I'll ever be able to look at it together with all my friends back home again, smiling together, being happy together.
Tomorrow... I'll begin finding that out.