Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
KingofBeasts Productions Presents:
Fate/Continuum Shift: A Fate/Stay NightxBlazblue Crossover
Chapter 3: Within the Moonlight Castle
"Welcome back, Mistress. How was your trip?"
Valkenhayn R. Hellsing, ever the loyal butler, knelt on one knee to acknowledge the arrival of Rachel Alucard, Lady of the Moonlight Castle, as she appeared in the foyer.
"It wasn't as droll as I imagined it to be." She smirked as she greeted her vassal "Our little experiment proved satisfactory; I have no doubt in my mind that Arturia Pendragon will, as they say, throw a monkey wrench into Terumi's plans."
"And what of Ragna the Bloodedge?" Valkenhayn asked as he followed Rachel when she began walking towards the gardens "How is his progress?"
"Whilst he is still no match for the serpent, he has shown considerable growth in both mind and body." The twin-tailed blonde explained with a heavy sigh "I only wish he could mature further; the day when we need his full strength is coming sooner than he thinks."
"Indeed. My best wishes to the both of them." The wizened butler nodded with a sagely smile "Ah yes, I wish to announce the presence of Lord Schweinorg as he waits for you in the Rose Gardens."
"Ah, so he has arrived." The vampiress' lips curled into a small smirk "That is god. I wish to speak with the 'Kaleidoscope' on matters of grave importance."
She began to hasten her pace when Valkenhayn spoke once more "I must also mention that Lord Schweinorg had brought a guest. Lady Brunestud, if I recall."
"...Oh dear."
"Hiiiii Rachel~!"
"How the scion of Tohno bares with her, I do not know." Rachel sighed deeply to calm herself as she walked. She was greeted by Arcueid Brunestud, the whimsical True Ancestor and Mistress of Castle Brunestud, and Kishua Zelterech Schweinorg, Number 4 of the Twenty Seven Dead Apostles, Master of the Second Magic and, incidentally, a man who had been there when the Holy Grail Wars were first conceptualized, as they were seated in the table that stood among the field of roses.
"Ah, Little Rachel Alucard." The old man, his well built chest rumbling as he chuckled, nodded his graying head as a sign of greeting "How long has it been seen we've last seen each other?"
"A few hundred centuries, but that is neither here or there." The host of this little gather did a curtsy before taking her seat among her ilk "How fares the Watch Tower?"
"It is still rife with politics and power plays, if that's what you're asking." Zelterech chuckled heartily "I find it best to let the petty magi to quarrel among themselves and go on vacations like these."
"And that's why he let me go with him!" Arcuied added with a grin, clad in her usual white blouse and purple long skirt "I always wanted to see what this place looked like!"
"So sorry to hear that." Rachel nodded at the black clad Dead Apostle before turning to the other vampire present "And what of you, Lady Brunestud?"
"Just came from helping Shiki and that Sion girl fight that Night of Wallachia guy." The other blonde chimed in with a smile "Misaki Town should be returning to normal now that all the TATAMI is gone."
"Ah, you mean Miss Eltnam." Rachel nodded. She had heard of the alchemist-turned Dead Apostle; she really wanted to meet that bright mind in person "At any rate, it is good that things are under control on your end. Alas, we must forego the small talk. There is a matter I wish to discuss with you, Lord Schweinorg and Lady Brunestud."
"Of course, of course." The Master of the Third Magic nodded with a grin "I will listen to whatever you have to say, Lady Alucard. God knows you're more interesting to talk to than the rest of the rabble at the Association!"
"Too true!" chimed in Arcueid with a giggle.
"Very well." Rachel let out a small smile of her own before turning to Valkenhayn "Kindly prepare an extra large pot of tea. We shall be having a lengthy discussion."
"It will be done, milady."
"So after all these years..."
"Indeed." Rachel nodded after having explained all the details to the other two vampires present "It seems that bringing the King of Knights to my time has created more changes than I had realized."
"So this Zouken guy..." Arcueid nodded after mustering all her willpower to listen to Rachel's convoluted explanation "He sounds like bad news."
"'Bad news' does not begin to describe Old Man Matou, little Arcueid." Zelteretch clarified "I was there when he, Nagato Tohsaka and the Einzberns began the Holy Grail Ritual. It is a wonder how he fell as far as he did; he used to be such a nice lad, if not a little boring."
"Though I wonder," The old man mused before turning to Rachel "How has Takamagahara taken this new entity in the system?"
"Takamagawhatnow?" Arcueid gave her surrogate grandfather a puzzled expression.
"The system has, to my surprise, not reacted violently to Saber's presence." Rachel wrapped her dainty index finger around the hook of her teacup before lifting it up to her lips and sipping it softly "I would not be surprised if my fellow Observers tried to eject this foreign entity, but for some reason they do not."
"Perhaps in bringing our little king, you have created not just one new possibility, but hundreds?"
"...Yes, that is a logical explanation." Rachel nodded in agreement after a few moments of carefully considering the old man's words and putting down her tea afterwards. "By introducing a new variable into the equation, we create several thousand probabilities. Each of them, while having the most minute similarities, are more different than the last. That is also true for Saber; her existence in this timeline creates a plethora of possibilities that can be added into the Continuum Shift."
"Therefore gaining the Tacomakothingy's interest?" Arcueid added with a hopeful grin.
"...You are actually correct." Rachel said with a puzzled expression. She had often forgotten that underneath the White Princess' ditzy exterior was a perceptive strategist.
"Be that as it may." Zelteretch interjected after finishing his cup of tea "What do you intend to do now, Rachel? With Zouken Matou joining this play, you now fight a war on two fronts. Who's to say they won't join forces?"
"Yes, that is indeed a troublesome conundrum." Rachel furrowed her brow in thought "Not to mention that both incarnations of 'Mr. Hero' would not take her presence all too well."
"You can leave the younger one to me."
All four beings turned to the sound of slow, heavy footsteps. From the corridor emerged a tall man clad in black skin-tight body armor worn under a red overcoat with black pants and steel capped boots at the bottom. Other than the tanned skin and the whitened hair, the most striking feature about this figure was his eyes; what used to be a vibrant chocolate brown was now a dull, clouded gray.
"Ah, so my fellow conspirator has finally arrived." Rachel gave the new figure a teasing grin "I suppose the will of Mother Earth itself has finally deemed it fit to intervene, Counter Guardian?"
"Please, just call me Archer." The man's deep baritone was made evident by his chuckle "And yes, Alaya has finally decided to put its foot down on Yuuki Terumi's schemes."
"A Counter Guardian, here in the flesh!" The Kaleidoscope guffawed as he turned his attention to the new arrival while Arcueid gazed at him in awe "I have met a few in my time, but not one as storied as you are, Mister Archer."
"I'm flattered, Kaleidoscope. It's not everyday you get a compliment from the one who was there when the Grail Wars were made." The Counter Guardian nodded before turning his attention back to Rachel "Back to the matter at hand: Seeing as you are already occupied with Ragna and Saber, I'll take Kisaragi off your hands. The whelp has much to learn if before he becomes his future self."
"How generous of you, 'Ally of Justice'." Rachel smirked as she watched the man wince at his old moniker "Are you sure you're aiding me altruistically, or perhaps a lingering sentiment towards the Once and Future King remains?"
"That was another lifetime ago." Archer answered stoically "Even then, I am not the same one she fell in love with."
"Ah, it truly is a pity, then." Rachel giggled at the implication she had thought up "But what of Hakumen himself? I doubt even you can convince him to leave her be."
"It's a risk I'll have to take." The Counter Guardian answered her while crossing his chiseled arms over his broad chest "If not, then it'll be a real test for Saber as well as for that guy. Not many can take on King Arthur in her prime."
"Then that settles it, then!" Arcueid got up from her seat, raising her arms to stretch her body "In the mean time, can I go play with Mr. Bloodedge? It'll be a good exercise for him and I could use a workout too. It's a win-win for everybody!"
"...Very well." Rachel sighed heavily; while the True Ancestor was a dependable ally, she could get carried away at times. As such, she feared for Ragna's safety at her hands.
"If that is the case, then I should be on my way." The Wizard Marshall stood up as well, giving a nod to Archer before making his way out.
"Oh? And just where are you off to, Kaleidoscope?" Rachel mused with a smile.
"Why, I'm off to observe a descendant of one of my apprentices of course!" The old man chuckled before melding with the shadows, all but vanishing into thin air "If she shows the promise of her progenitors, then I may be able to entrust her with a certain...something."
"Atchoo!"
A girl with long, jet-black hair that flowed past her shoulders blew her nose daintily on a handkerchief as she was walking through Kagutsuchi's Orient Town. She wore a red overcoat over a white blouse and black knee high skirt. Her shapely legs were covered in black stockings while her feet were adorned with dress shoes and on her right hand was a golden cane, upon it's head perched a bright red ruby. Her eyes were a dull green and her features exuded a certain grace and poise.
If anything, she was the spitting image of her ancestor, Rin Tohsaka.
"I swear, there must be something in the air today." The young girl known as Meilin Tohsaka said after a few sniffles. She sighed as she took a good look around the place and noticed how it differed from the time of her ancestors'; To her knowledge, she was the only known Magus who still practices Thaumaturgy, a dying art in a world dominated by Ars Magus. The Jewel Magecraft of the Tohsaka was passed down from generation to generation, finding it's way to be preserved even until today in an age that it was not considered practical.
Jewel Magecraft was also an expensive type of Thaumaturgy. As such, Meilin had to use much of her vigilante earnings to pay for the gemstones she had to charge with copious amounts of prana, an act that left her exhausted on a regular basis.
Despite all it's drawbacks, Meilin was proud to be a Magus and a scion of her clan.
"Now, if I were Ragna the Bloodedge, where would I go...?" Meilin pondered aloud as she wandered the streets. Like many a vigilante, she too found the Grim Reaper's bounty all too alluring. She could only imagine how many jewels she can buy with that.
She arrived a few days after the years end, barely missing the first sighting of the SS Class Criminal. She felt dismayed at first, but felt that she should at least look around for any clues. Who knows, he might still be in Kagutsuchi.
"At least, I hope so." Meilin let out a dismayed sigh, having scoured the lower levels for hours. It was already sunset, the orange rays bathing Orient Town in it's warm glow.
"Ugh, this is a waste of time." She threw her hands up in defeat as she stood in one of the alleyways "I'll just go home and-"
"Master Carl! Please remain calm!"
Meilin turned her head to where that boisterous noise came from and ran towards it. Once she got to the source, the clinic of the well-loved doctor Litchi Faye-Ling, she saw three figures; the source of the voice was a burly, scruffy man with a well-built body and a giant nail on his back. One of them was a child with a purple top hat, a white polo streaked with purple around the cuff and chest area while a deep purple cape covers his shoulders up to his waist. With him was what can only be described as a purple automaton attacking a young green-eyed blonde of short stature and wearing an NOL uniform.
Yes, that was quite a mouthful. Now moving on to the story...
"So...she's our enemy, sis?" The young boy, who Meilin knew to be Carl Clover, turned to the blonde girl with a death glare "Well, that seems settled. I regret to ask this of you, Miss Noel, but I'm going to have to ask you to die."
"Carl, wait!" The blonde girl, now wielding what could be described as a handgun in each hand, could only stand as the mechanical puppet swung it's bludgeon of an arm to strike her.
"Neun, Acht, Sieben!"
Before the giant puppet can strike, several shards of ice crashed against it. It stood still for a few seconds before breaking out of it with sheer force.
"Who-!"
"Sorry if I seem like a meddler." The Last of the Tohsaka Magi took slow steps toward the action with a cool smirk "But I don't think little children should whine like that at all."
"...It looks like I'll have to kill you first." The young Clover said as he directed a cold gaze towards Meilin. Her response?
"Come at me, then." Meilin Tohsaka smirked as she held her Mystic Code, the jeweled rod that belonged to her ancestor Tokiomi, aloft and ready to do battle "Don't cry when I beat you, though!"
End Chapter 3
It's the Tiger Dojo!
Taiga: Hi everyone! Welcome to the second episode!
Kokonoe: *unenthusiastic cheering* Hooray.
Ilya: You can do better than that, my kohai! We have to make the most of this spot after all!
Kokonoe: *groans* If we want to make the most of it, then shouldn't we get to the topic proper?
Taiga: Ah, yes of course! Today, we'll be talking about Saber's current state!
Ilya: That actually confuses me. Is she still a Heroic Spirit or not? And didn't she die in the end of the Fate Route?
Taiga: *remains silent due to thinking hard about it* ...I dunno why either.
Kokonoe: Quite a mystery, now that you mention it.
?: I believe I can answer that!
*All three turn to see the real OG, Rin Tohsaka, enter the dojo*
Ilya: Agh! Senpai!
Rin: Yes it's me. I gotta say, I like my descendant's moxie, challenging a Nox Nyctores wielder like that. Not very smart, but very gutsy. Like a certain red-head idiot I know.
Kokonoe: Can you explain Saber's current state so that I can go back to my lab now?
Rin: Of course *snaps fingers and a diagram of Saber's time axis* You know that after every Grail War she's in, Saber's spirit returns to her point of death, right?
Ilya: Yeah. We talked about it in the Fate Route, remember?
Rin: Yes. Now...*scribbles a doodle of Avalon on one of the dots* Remember that at one point in time, Shirou give Saber Avalon. This creates a theory that Avalon returned with Saber after the 5th War.
Kokonoe: And after it returned to it's owner, the hax healing effects acted up as Rachel found her?
Rin: Precisely! K.O.B is going with that theory because, without it, this fic won't have a plot and cease to exist.
Taiga: And that's bad for us! Where would our adoring fans be without us?!
Kokonoe: *Presses a button and drops Tager on Taiga from her hyperspace arsenal*
Taiga: Ugwaaah!
Ilya: Instructor!
Kokonoe: And that concludes this edition of Tiger Dojo.
Rin: See you in the next one...I guess?
Tager:...Kokonoe, What am I doing here?
A/N: Whew. That was a long edition of the Dojo.
Anyways, nothing much to say really. Just two things:
1. Saber's stage theme if she were a Blazblue character would be Crow's Claw's version of This Illusion (i.e FSN's original OP theme). Look it up on Youtube and feel the hype!
2. Leave a review. That is all. See ya next time!
Next time on Fate/Continuum Shift: Elegance and Grace!