Prologue chapter 2

"Are you, like, sure you don't want one?"

I hold my hand up in denial. The...thing...before me almost too disgusting to even acknowledge.

"Okay. Suit yourself."

Saber tears into the sandwiches on his plate, starting with the peanut-butter, banana, and pickle, though each is more unappetizing than the last. I think the last one had mayo and chocolate sauce...

"So tell me, uh...come to think of it, you haven't told me your class or anything. What should I call you?"

"I'm a saber," he said, licking the crumbs from his last sandwich off his fingers, "but everyone just called me Shaggy."

"A...Saber, huh..."

I take back what I said earlier. It really is disappointing. When I heard about heroic spirits, that they're the epic heroes of legend, I expected something more impressive or imposing. I expected something like Gilgamesh, or Cu Chulainn, or Arthur Pendragon. I mean, I guess I shouldn't expect those specifically, but I also don't think I should've expected Maynard G. Krebs.

Okay, maybe it's not all bad. He's a Saber, after all. According to Kirei's explanation, that's considered one of the most powerful classes. My chances shot up significantly just by summoning him.

"So, like, what's your wish, anyway?" he asks

"Huh? Oh uh...I guess I want to help people. I mean, why do you ask?"

"I don't want to get you the grail if you're a bad guy. Now, what's your wish?"

"I want to help someone. I don't really feel like explaining the whole thing. Good enough for you? Anyway, what about you? Why do you want the grail? Actually, what hero are you, really? I've never heard of any "Shaggy." And what's the deal with the weird hippie thing you've got going on."

"Like I said, I'm just Shaggy."

"Okay, fine, then what about your wish?"

"I don't really have one. How about, like, an unlimited supply of Scooby Snax?"

Wait. What? Did I hear that right?

"Scooby...Snax?"

"Yeah, man! They're like these caramel-flavored cookies from way back when-"

"I know what they are! I mean, are you serious? You want to use an omnipotent wish granting device...for caramel cookies?"

Is this some kind of joke? Something has to be wrong here. I mean, for someone to be an epic hero, they need to be ambitious. Right? This doesn't make any sense.

"You sure there isn't anything else? I mean, like, maybe you have some kind of regrets from when you were alive? Some tragedy you want to avert? Anything?"

"Well...there is something, but I don't need the grail for it. I'll help you with the war and hope it just happens."

I give up. He seems to be up for it, at least. That's good enough for me. Alright, I just need to go to Kirei and register my new saber with him. I wait for him to finish off his dinner, grab all my things, and we head out.

It's bright and early—five in the morning to be specific. The air is still slightly warm, but I can feel the natural coolness of the winter returning. The other masters must be just about done summoning their servants. That being said, this atmosphere...

I'm being followed. I telepathically tell Shaggy to pick up the pace. We gradually go from a brisk walk to frantic running until the creeping feeling dissipates, then we stop to catch our breath.

"What are you running from?"

My heart skips a beat. The voice that should be disarming—that of a young girl—sends a jolt through my spine. I swing around to face her and take a large step back to make distance. Shaggy does the same, his hand gripping air, likely to materialize his sword should he need to.

"So what are you running from?" She repeats the question. There's an almost unearthly air around this girl. The white hair and red eyes make me feel like I'm looking at a ghost, and it feels like there's a faint glow around her that accentuates these features. All that aside, though, I sense any danger from her.

"Oh-uh...it's nothing! Just, uh...trying to get some exercise in, y'know!? Eh-heh..."

She stares at me for a few moments and exhales in what seems like frustration. Without saying another word, she continues past me. I decide it's best to let her be on her merry way before I continue.

Now that I think about it, she looked kinda young. Should I let a kid walk around the streets by herself at this hour? What if something happens? As I think about this, shaggy breaks the silence.

"I'll, like, tail her."
"Huh?"

"You were just thinking 'should I let a kid walk around the streets by herself at this hour,' right?"

"Oh, yeah. You go do that. Make sure she gets where she's going safe and sound and meet me at the church."

He turns invisible—a nifty trick that apparently all heroic spirits can do—and before I know it I can feel the distance between us rapidly increasing.

…

The church Kirei works out of is a pretty standard catholic church-house. Despite this, the few times I've been here it's always felt pretty uncomfortable. It's pretty out of the way, probably intentionally so, so it's almost perpetually empty. Now's no exception.

"So you're registering a Saber-class servant, correct?"

I nod my head.

"Then rejoice! Starting midnight on the new year, the war will be well underway. Do you have any questions? I can't promise an answer to all of them, but it is still my duty to provide assistance to competitors of this war in any way I might."

"Well, first-"

I'm cut off by the door opening. In walks a man, maybe in his early twenties, with blonde hair and an unbearably smug aura about him. The two just stand there looking at each other for a few moments, then the man smiles.

"It's been quite some time, Kotomine!"

"It certainly has. Thirteen years, I believe."

Kirei gestures over to the man.

"This is an old friend of mine from when I lived in Japan. He certainly has picked quite the peculiar time to drop in. Now, why don't you introduce yourself."

Without taking his eyes off of Kirei, he introduces himself. "I go by Gil. I just arrived in this town, and decided to come over when I heard you were here. It really has been quite a long time."

"Indeed. We'll have a chance to catch up as soon as I'm done speaking with young master Cray, here. You had a question for me?"

"Oh, don't worry about it! I'll just excuse myself."

I grab my bag and leave.

…

Alright. Everything's done. I just need to wait for midnight on New Year's day and the battle will begin. I'm so anxious I can barely hold still!