(100% of the credit and ownership goes to the creators of Fate/Apocypha. I do NOT own any of it! Additionally, I researched information and credit the site Type-Moon Wiki for it.)
Chapter 2: Throne of Heroes
Historic Background on the Universe Throne of Heroes
Heroic Spirits are known to all as beings of a higher existence. When given the title of a Heroic Spirit, it is said that this higher being is unique from any other, having qualities and characteristics that make them stand apart from all others. They are classified as all-mighty beings who are released from the constraints of time and the possibility of reincarnation is dismissed, therefore placing them to live eternity in a place known as the "Throne of Heroes." The Throne of Heroes is an exclusive place existing outside of both the World and the time axis.
Once gaining entrance into such an elite place, the chance of ever leaving is close to zero. The only time a being is granted a temporary exit is when the Greater Grail summons one to fight in the all-powerful Holy Grail War. Heroic Spirits then take on the responsibilities of a Servant who are given the great power of protecting humans. A standard-Servant is most often summoned in one of the following classes: Saber, Archer, Lancer, Rider, Assassin, Caster and Berserker. A non-standard Servant Class includes: Ruler, Alter Ego, Avenger, Beast, Foreigner and several others.
Mages can summon Heroic Spirits to the World of the Living, also known as Earth, in any era whether that be past, present or future. Mages must summon Servants by having a special item belonging solely to the Heroic Spirit during the time they had lived or were said to have existed. Mages most often summon their Servants with an oath. The oath incantation varies based on the servant the Mage wishes to summon.
If the Servant finds the Master to be worthy of their call and believes that their cause is worthy enough to fight for, the Heroic Spirit will materialize on Earth. While on Earth for the remainder of the Holy Grail War, the Servant will use their Master's mana to stay materialized. Once a Servant is defeated or eliminated during the Holy Grail War, they dematerialize from Earth altogether and return to the Throne of Heroes until they are summoned again in a future Grail War. Whether Servants are able to recall their memories from their brief appearance during their visit to Earth varies greatly depending on the Servant and events that occurred previously prior to their return. Stronger Servants are more likely to have all their memories while weaker Servants may not remember even a single memory during their time as a Servant.
Heroic Spirits living in the Throne of Heroes are classified into five main categories: Heaven, Earth, Human, Star, and Beast. Depending on where the hero originated from, based on the life they lived, stories told about them or myths created, will then decide which category they are placed. Each Spirit will have their Classification symbol permanently tattooed in black ink on the top of their hands, ensuring easy recognition. It is possible for Heroic Spirits to be placed in many categories, making this system quite flexible. They are given this Classification upon entering the Throne of Heroes and are forever bound to them after.
Heaven Classification are heroes who are related to the Gods, children of Gods, or incarnations of legends about Gods. Earth Classification are heroes who are known as the heroes of the land, through mythologies and legends of a region. Human Classification are heroes recognized through common knowledge who contributed to humanity and were viewed as truly superhuman in life. Star Classification are heroes who overcame hardships and made turning points in human history, giving great hope in the history of humanity. Beast Classification are heroes who represent the Seven Sins of humanity and the Evils of Man that encompass all of humanity.
Therefore, the Throne of Heroes is broken up into five different regions where each type of Classification has a different region they typically inhabit. Spirits of the same Classification live amongst each other in harmony and view one another as their equals. Heroic Spirits who have more than one Classification are able to live freely between the regions they classify with. The five main Classifications know of the others they do not normally live with, but still hold mutual respect for them. Heroic Spirits tend to hold the company and live with others that are in their same Classification due to the understanding it provides them. Thus, making the Throne of Heroes an elite and impossible place to enter without given the proper ranking.
While the Throne of Heroes is home to all Heroic Spirits of the galaxy, the Reverse Side of the World is a land where no humans are said to survive or have the chance of inhabiting, making this the home to non-human creatures that are often found in legends and fantasy. Magical beasts and divine beings are the only ones able to live in such a peculiar place. The beasts who inhabit this magical land include: Dragons, Basmu, Bull of Heaven, Chimera, Demon Boar, Divine Bull, Gorgon, Harpies, Hydra, Kelpie, Moby Dick, Pegasus, Quetzalocoatl, Sphinx, Oni Kind, Hippogriff, Typhon, Unicorn, Vorpal Bunny, Centaurs, Fairies, Giants, Minotauros, Succubus, Werewolves, Blood Worms, Curruid and Leviathan.
As a result, Heroic Spirits are rarely, if ever, able to travel to the Reverse Side of the World due to the vastly different nature of the land and the unwelcoming creatures that live in it. To this day, all the Heroic Spirits that have attempted to travel to this land have been completely unsuccessful. This has led to dark tales being told of the Reverse Side of the World being off-limits, viewed as a fantasy world far too different from that of the Throne of Heroes making the two worlds incompatible for a relationship. Despite this, the viability of both the Throne of Heroes and the Reverse Side of the World is essential as both worlds are needed for balance to continue in the galaxy and for the greater picture.
Flashback, Trifas Romania
"Ruler you mentioned earlier that you were betrayed. Don't you hold a grudge toward mankind?" asked a man Ruler could no longer name anymore. Who was this man? He had deep, dark red polished-perfect ruby eyes. Why did these eyes make her heart ache so deeply, why did these eyes make her want to scream out in utter heartbreak? His hair was brown and long, shaggy almost in appearance. Ruler wanted nothing more than to put her hand through it and feel it's texture in her fingertips. He wore a black waistcoat, white shirt, black slacks, and a pair of black leather half-boots. Why had she seen this outfit before?
"Everyone asks me that. I am always told that I should hold resentment and yet I cannot. Not even toward those who burned me at the stake. So, in the end, I am not as normal as people tend to assume that I am," replied Ruler. She had received this question so many times before, yet she never felt like she could summarize it as well as she would like. She looked down and smiled softly at her tea. She could always be herself with this person.
"Because you're not normal, is why I think you always go out of your way to protect me. Back then, you decided to save me even though you had nothing to gain from it. Not to mention, Red and Black could have turned on you at any moment. Despite all that, you still chose to stand up for me. You granted me my freedom and that alone is enough for me to want to continue living," that unknown man said with purpose. He looked so determined.
Next, I believe I said his name… but I can't remember his name anymore. No matter how badly I try.
"My words are not enough to repay you, that's why I want to use my body to show you my gratitude!" he said boldly.
"Listen, you may want to choose your words more wisely, lest people misunderstand your intentions," Ruler replied embarrassed. She began blushing profusely and noticed all the humans around them watch them intently, wondering if this man was hinting at having a physical relationship. She knew he didn't mean those words in that way but humans were interesting with how they decided to interpret bits and pieces of a conversation.
Present Day, Throne of Heroes
Ruler woke up with a throbbing headache and felt utterly light-headed. Just moments ago, her vision was white upon waking up, but now her eyes were beginning to burn upon seeing bright colors come into view causing her to squint her eyes in response. What an odd dream she had experienced seconds ago. It had felt so real. Why had it felt so real?
She forced herself to focus at the task at hand. She couldn't keep her mind in the clouds. Where was she and how long had she been asleep for? It was very uncommon for Heroic Spirits to sleep unless they had returned to the Thrones of Heroes after being summoned to partake in the Holy Grail War on Earth. Yes, that was it! She had been a part of the most recent Holy Grail War.
Was that dream really a memory from her time on Earth? It very well possibly could be. However, she didn't want to jump to any conclusions just yet. She had partaken in Holy Grail Wars before and had no difficulty in recalling her memories. What was it about this Holy Grail War that kept her memories fuzzy? Focus Ruler, you're back home. Home is what matters most.
Since joining the ranks of a Heroic Spirit all those years ago, Ruler had fallen in love with the Thrones of Heroes. It was an extremely peaceful land filled with endless lush green fields, flowers in all colors, shapes, and sizes and it had the bluest-clear sky she had ever seen all her life. The sky on Earth didn't even compare to the greatness this sky offered. Her fingers began grazing the soft grass between her fingertips. Oh, she had missed this sensation dearly.
Suddenly, the top of her hands ached lightly. Ruler winced at the sudden feeling and quickly looked down to see the cause of this. She saw the Human Classification "Jin" symbol appear on her left hand and the Star Classification "Sei" symbol appear on her right hand simultaneously. She sighed in ease. Thank goodness, she was truly back home in the great lands of the Throne of Heroes. If she had any doubts until this moment, the Classification symbols had given her mind some temporary peace.
Next, she looked down at her attire and noticed she was wearing her usual battle-dress amour woven from Magical Energy. All Heroic Spirits in this land wore the outfit they had become famous in and had lived their lives in due to tradition. Their outfits and attire were purely unique and helped them to distinguish themselves as the originals, the one and only to their proud names.
Ruler rose from her spot and began walking towards the vast cherry blossom field located near the center of the Human Classification region. She decided early on to mostly live in the Human Classification region over the Star Classification region due to the very fact that cherry blossoms had become her absolute favorite flower since living on this graceful land. She adored their soft-pink petals and the meaning behind cherry blossoms. Her dear friend Saint George known to those close around him as Georgios, had taught her that the flower represented beauty and fragility of life.
Ruler's walk turned into a light jog until she saw the cherry blossoms come into view. She began to smile freely before she was suddenly interrupted by a small noise behind her. She slowly turned her head and body around until half her body was facing towards the unknown noise. It wasn't as if she was scared because there was nothing to fear in the Throne of Heroes.
All those who inhabited this land had gained the ranks of a Heroic Spirit and were destined to the same eternity, giving up their rights to ever enter Heaven, Hell, or the Reverse Side of the World. Her head started to hurt again at the thought of the Reverse Side of the World. Why did that ring a bell deep in her soul?
She saw a tall man with an impressive athletic body build emerge from behind the trees. He had beautifully long sienna-brown curly hair that stopped just below his waist, his hair moving gently with the soft breeze of the evening wind. His eyes were a delicate yet piercing cinnamon-tawny brown. He was wearing maroon-orange armor with silk white cloaks. His white smile was absolutely dazzling as he met Ruler's gaze and getting larger with each passing moment the longer he took in her long-awaited appearance.
She felt her knees get slightly shaky, feeling her legs turn into jelly. She felt her heart start to beat a tad bit harder upon seeing this incredibly handsome man. Then, just as fast as her heart started to beat, it started to beat painfully bringing back her headache from earlier. Why do I feel so guilty for feeling this way?
"Jeanne!" his voice cried out in worry as he rushed to her side and caught her just in time. He had his right hand on the left side of her waist and his left hand was currently cupping her cheek gently. She could see how his eyes were darting side to side slightly, worrying sick about her well-being as usual. Ruler felt herself take a deep breath, nervously looking up at the man who easily towered above her.
"Georgios. Is that really you?" Jeanne d'Arc replied nervously. Of course, it was him. Her heart knew it was him. She had finally returned into his warm and safe embrace. The man she was so close to spending her eternity with. Right when they had been having the serious conversation of getting married and turning their vows into an eternal reality, she had been summoned into the most recent Holy Grail War as a Ruler class Servant.
"Did the Holy Grail War beat you up so badly that you forgot your very own fiancé? I mean in all seriousness. Jeanne d'Arc, are you playing with me? I've been so worried about you," Georgios said teasingly as he shut his eyes, placing a tender kiss on her forehead.
Ruler shut her eyes tightly and tried desperately to focus on Georgios but she was haunted by the image of deep, dark red polished-perfect ruby eyes gazing back at her every time she closed her eyes. Who are you?
Georgios shared her same devoted faith to God, even in this eternal land where they could never spend their forever with their God. However, she was determined to try and live her life as normally as she possibly could under these circumstances. She was content with settling down with Georgios in this forever but why did she now hold such doubts?
"I remember but I don't remember. It's all coming back in bits and pieces. I'm afraid I don't recall everything quite yet. How long as it been?" Ruler asked quietly. How long had she been on Earth this time? How long was she there for her to have trouble in recalling her memories?
"A few months. Honestly, it felt like much too long my love. Were you able to bring victory?" Georgios asked curiously. He released his grip on her and intertwined one of her hands with his so they could finish their walk to the cherry blossom trees.
"As a Ruler-Class Servant it was my job to protect the overall concept of the Holy Grail War and act only in the interest of the Grail. I didn't take either side of the battle. I also ensured that the laws of the Heroic Spirits were not violated as well, ensuring human history stayed intact. I remember making it till almost the very end of the Grail War until I dematerialized. I must have lost but I'm not sure how yet," Ruler replied looking straight ahead. Her head was pounding harshly, tears threatened to escape from behind her eyes. Memories of the recent past started to flood her thoughts again.
"La Pucelle!" Ruler yelled letting her sword's silver flower erupt into a devastating fire, threatening to burn down all who dare oppose her, pointing it toward Shirou Tokisada Amakusa's path.
"You know whenever I'm summoned, I always classify as being the Rider Class Servant so I am not always entirely sure of what all your responsibilities entail. I'm very proud of you. You have successfully pushed through yet another Holy Grail War. Regardless of whether you lost or won, you brought the Human and Star Classifications honor. You did well Jeanne d'Arc," Georgios replied proudly. Jeanne d'Arc never ceased to amaze him with her brilliance and diligence.
She couldn't hear anything except the sound of an Earth-shattering explosion break out around her and her vision went pitch black. The world around them turned white and no one knew what would occur next. BOOM!
"Your honest words fill my heart with purpose. Thank you so very much Georgios," Ruler replied restlessly. Ruler suddenly felt uneasy and utterly distraught. She should feel content that she was at home, beside the man she had grown to admire? She would spend forever next to Georgios side by side as husband and wife. They would share a strong marriage. They would… Wouldn't they? Sweat started coming down Ruler's face and she felt her feet become wobbly once again.
A dragon's gaze meets her own as he opens his eyes, gentle but purposeful. This kind dragon with the stunning teal-green eyes, begins pumping his vast wings and starts flying off into the bright sky, holding the Greater Grail within his hands to another world, to the sanctuary of beasts that lay beyond man's reach. This unknown dragon, she was sure she would meet him again. Although not in this lifetime of man, but in her life granted to her beyond this world.
"Jeanne, you don't look well? Why don't we lay down over there for a bit?" Georgios requested worried. He had never seen her look so pale. It looked as if she had seen a ghost. What could have Jeanne d'Arc so worked up? He worried that the cost of this previous Holy Grail War was far too much for her. She was the strongest woman he had ever met but could this have broken her?
"I think that is a solid plan for the time-being until I catch my bearings. Georgios, I had a vision near the very end of the Grail War, right before I returned home to you. I dreamt of the dragon Fafnir. I don't know the meaning and I don't know why, but I feel as if I must find that dragon at all costs. I can't even begin to express the desperate desire for doing so…," Jeanne d'Arc whispered softly as they laid down together. As soon as Ruler said what she did, she instantly regretted it. Georgios was known as the Dragon-Slaying Saint, he was the last person she should discuss this matter with.
"A dragon? That is quite an odd vision indeed. If a dragon needs to be terminated, I would gladly protect you from it. But you say it's the dragon Fafnir? That's odd. That is the dragon supposedly slayed by the hands of Siegfried during his lifetime. Shortly after he slayed the dragon, he bathed in its blood to obtain a body close to that of a dragon… Wait, wasn't Siegfried Saber of Black in this previous Holy Grail War?" Georgios proposed while deep in thought. Come to think of it, he hadn't seen Siegfried since his summoning onto Earth? Shouldn't he have returned after being defeated?
"You are correct. Siegfried was Saber of Black in the Grail War I participated in. However, he lost very early on, sacrificing his life for that of a homunculus boy at the time. Forgive me, I have still not yet fully recovered from the battle it seems. My mind must be playing tricks on me," Ruler tried laughing the topic off. She had to forget about all this for now. She knew she wasn't imagining or making up her vision but it unnerved her that Siegfried had yet to return from the Grail War.
Speaking of which, why did that name sound so awfully familiar? She would get to the bottom of this. She would find the answers she so desperately sought.
"It is alright. No matter how long it may take to accomplish, I will make sure that we will meet again someday," Ruler looked up at the man with deep, dark red polished-perfect ruby eyes with the utmost care and fierce determination. She would find a world where they were destined to be reunited.
Ruler looked up to the sky as it was turning the loveliest shade of lavender mixed in with a soft-teal blue and squeezed Georgios's hand with a newly discovered purpose. She was determined to find the man who haunted her thoughts so she could continue to move forward in her relationship with the Heroic Spirit Georgios. She refused to let the aftermaths of the Grail War continue to haunt her thoughts as they did now.
How bad could it be after all? What Ruler had yet to realize at the time was just how deeply her ties went to the man who was currently haunting her thoughts, holding onto her heart ever so delicately, refusing to lessen his hold on her fate.
A/N: The first half of this chapter is background information on the Throne of Heroes and the Reverse Side of the World. It's very important for the remainder of the story The Crimson Saint's Fate. Big shout out and thank you so much to all the individuals who have favorited and followed my story so far! It truly means the world. I'm so excited for you to embark on this journey with me! Xoxo!