Title: See The Love There That's Sleeping
Rating: MA. That means angsty not-worksafe Archer/Rin love...at least for the unedited version which can be found at fsn(underscore)fiction on Livejournal. You lucky readers at the Pit get the sanitized-so-Yuurei's-story-doesn't-get-reported-version.
Characters: Archer x Rin
Word Count: 6,200
Warning/s: Heaven's Feel spoilers, and a lot of them too. I don't think anyone should feel too lost, though.
Summary: The day had started out so normally. Who would have thought tonight everything would change?
Dedication: For Riana1, who leaves the loveliest reviews and sends me Discworld, yet I have tragically not written a thing for before. No more!
A/N: Done for the 30(underscore)lemons challenge number 20. First Timers, or, "Yes! I'm Finally Getting Some!", also known by it's secret title "First Timers, or "This challenge was designed specifically to turn Yuurei's brain into mush, because it forces her to write angsty sex and she SUCKS at it." More (long-ass) notes to follow after the fic.
Fate/stay night © TYPE-MOON / Kadokawa Shoten / Studio DEEN.
Cross-posted to fsn(underscore)fiction , 30(underscore)lemons and my personal lj.
Rin easily darted through the crowds of students in the hallway, Archer following close behind in ethereal form. Archer had sensed Saber's defeat by the Shadow the previous night, underscoring the great need to boost Shirou's mage skills-his only mage skill-as quickly as possible. It was becoming more and more obvious that dealing with the Shadow was going to end up taking greater priority than the War itself.
Now, to actually find Shirou-
"Tohsaka!"
Rin turned to see Shirou standing behind her, slightly winded from catching up. One eyebrow gently lifted as she cast the former Master an expectant glance. True, she had intended to seek him out anyway, but it was her creed to not waste valuable opportunities for future favors.
"Yes, Emiya-kun?" Rin asked, tone as sweet as poisoned chocolate. "Is there something you need?"
To her mild surprise, Shirou shot her quite a glare. Maybe he was growing a spine after all.
"I need your help." Shirou replied, expression growing somber. "Last night, Saber-"
Rin held up a hand for silence.
"I know, Emiya-kun. Saber was devoured like Assassin, Lancer, and Caster." Rin tilted her head as she studied Shirou more intently, then let out a slow breath. "Fine. Come home with me, and I'll show you something Emiya-kun can do, that I can't."
Shirou looked at her in confusion as they walked out of the school together, heading in the direction of Rin's home.
"Tohsaka won't just show me her style of mage-craft?"
"That'd be impossible in such a short time, and it isn't where your talents lie anyway. The Tohsaka-style of magecraft is based off of the teachings of the True Magic User Kishua Zelretch Schweinorg, using jewels to store a lifetime's worth of mana." Her gaze slid to Shirou, who wasn't even bothering to hide his lost expression. "The point is that my mage-craft is most effective if you've had a long time to charge the gems." Rin unlocked the front door, ushering Shirou inside and into a far-off room with its floor covering in small lamps.
"This, however, you can do." Rin continued as she tossed Shirou a lamp. A small smirk slid across her face.
"Now let's train."
The day had started out so normally. Who would have thought tonight everything would change?
That's what Rin would have thought anyway, had not all her attention been focused on the knife Shinji had pointed at Sakura's throat, his other hand clenching the book he used to control Rider.
"Kill Archer!" Shinji howled once more, voice hoarse from repeating the order so many times. Once more, Rider refused, body shuddering in pain at defying the spellbook's power.
Mind racing, Rin desperately tried to think of something, anything, to get Shinji away from Sakura, but there was simply no getting away from the fact he could kill the smaller girl long before Rin could get her away.
"STOP!!!"
To Rin's shock, Sakura managed to get away from Shinji on her own. At the sound of her voice, the spellbook he was holding burst into flames. Even more noticeable was the very obvious rise in Rider's strength once the ashes of the book fell to the floor. Swiftly, the violet-haired eirei took her place by Sakura's side.
"Rider, who told you to do that?" Shinji bleated at seeing his one slim chance of protection leave his side.
Contemptuous even through her blindfold, Rider looked down at Shinji.
"It is a Servant's duty to protect her Master above all else."
Shirou's shock was impossible to ignore as he looked between Rin and Sakura, the question in his eyes clearly displayed.
"Don't look so surprised, Emiya-kun. A member of the Matou family couldn't be a Master, the bloodline has been all but void of magus ability for some time now." I was just hoping there was any explanation but this one.
"But, Tohsaka, then how could Sakura-"
"How dare you!" Shinji snarled at Sakura, moving straight towards her only to be blocked by Rider. Rin could tell that Shinji had finally realized, even as stupid as he was, that all hope of controlling Rider was gone. Even if Sakura made him another book, it wouldn't have any command seals left to make it work.
Changing tactics, Shinji pointed towards Rin and Shirou. "Beat those bastards then, Sakura!"
"No." Sakura replied, her soft voice carrying a dangerous undercurrent that made it very clear asking her to do such a thing again would be...unwise.
Shinji backed away, poorly hiding his nervousness.
"Just die then, if you insist on being so worthless!" Shinji shrieked, choking in surprise as Sakura suddenly collapsed on the floor. Quickly turning tail, he ran out of sight.
"Sakura!" Shirou gasped, immediately racing to her side before Archer stopped him in his tracks.
"Don't go any closer." Archer ordered, ignoring Shirou's glare as if it wasn't even there. Already, the air was darkening, and the mana-draining kekkai over the school glowing with activation. "Staying here would mean our deaths."
Muscles tensing in readiness, Archer faced Rider, already crouching in her battle pose.
"Release the kekkai, Rider."
Rider didn't move an inch.
"I won't do that, Archer. Sakura needs their mana."
Archer's eyes narrowed. "I commend your loyalty, if nothing else."
Rider nodded slightly, and as if that was some signal, both eirei moved to strike with the force of a hurricane.
To his irritation, Rider's considerable power-boost meant Archer was extremely hard-pressed to defend himself from her attacks. Her strength and agility, now superior to his own, meant the time needed to trace a Noble Phantasm capable of matching Rider, much less release his reality marble, was denied to him. Additionally, Kansho and Bakuya were best used to close combat-something Rider's chain nails eliminated the possibility of occurring.
Mentally swearing, Archer dodged yet another strike. The direction of the chains was difficult to predict, and he had already a few deep gashes on his right arm and both legs testifying to this. Reinforcing his legs, Archer managed to put on enough speed to stab Rider in the shoulder, only to have her leg slam hard into his ribs, the power of the strike throwing him several feet down the hall.
Dammit. That's at least three cracked ribs now, in addition to the stab wounds. Pretty soon I'm not going to able to keep up with her...
Rider's calm voice disturbed his train of thought.
"You've done well enough, Servant Archer, but you won't have enough power to use a Noble Phantasm at this point...if you even have one."
Suddenly, Sakura placed her hand on Rider's uninjured shoulder.
"Stop, Rider! Don't fight anymore!" The violet-eyed girl pleaded.
Carefully, Rider moved Sakura's hand away, before casting an almost-apologetic smile.
"I'm sorry Sakura, but I can't."
With lightening speed, Rider pulled off her blindfold, and the air itself became heavy as lead, as she stared at them with jewel-colored eyes. In an instant, Rider's identity became evident.
Cybele, the Mystic Eyes of the Jewel colors, gifted with the power of petrifaction... Medusa.
Once more, Rider whipped both chain nails in his direction. It was only a split second after they brushed past Archer that he realized it hadn't been him the Gorgon had been aiming for at all. Desperately, he turned to see Shirou with a chain nail through his shoulder that had clearly been meant for Rin.
The sound of Sakura's scream and the kekkai lifting broke the spell of Archer's incredible relief that Rin was uninjured, even if it had been Emiya and not himself who protected her.
Swaying from the effects of Cybele and blood loss, Emiya Shirou slumped onto the floor.
Rin looked up at the great stained glass window of the Kotomine Church, hands tightly clenched in her lap, because it was infinitely preferable to meeting Shirou's disbelieving gaze. It was hard, letting him know the truth behind such an intensely private matter, but there was no avoiding his questions now, even as Kotomine was taking care of Sakura. With a steadiness she wasn't truly feeling, Rin continued to speak.
"So, because of the taboo of raising more than one magus per family, my younger sister Sakura was taken in by the Matou family eleven years ago." Rin swallowed dryly before continuing. "But she isn't my sister anymore, so if I had to kill her, I certainly would."
Shirou looked at her, and Rin hated herself for the horror she saw in his eyes. Before he could say anything, Kotomine entered the Church.
"Well, Kirei?" Rin asked, not in the mood for subtlety or games.
Kotomine sighed at her impatience before beginning to speak.
"Sakura's body is being eaten from within by Matou Zouken's worm familiars. They feed on her mana, and are replacing her magic circuits." The priest sat down on a pew, clearly worn out. "If she doesn't fight, she will be killed. If she fights, the mana-depletion will kill her in the end."
Rin lowered her eyes in thought.
"Defeating Zouken could save her. But you'd have to defeat Sakura first, since she's under his orders."
Kotomine cast a carefully blank look her way before replying.
"I can't watch her die...for the time being, at least."
Rin sharply breathed in as she got up to leave. "Then you are very different from me, Kirei. I will kill her if I have to." She added, as she reached the great double doors of the Church, slamming them shut behind her. Leaning against the solid wood, Rin looked up at the starless night sky.
And then I'll kill myself.
Archer waited outside, but not for Rin.
His patience paid off, as Emiya Shirou exited the Church soon after Rin, who had moved elsewhere on the grounds. The boy's turmoil was written clearly across his face-he was still far from being any good at hiding his feelings. Despite the gravity of the situation, Archer couldn't help but feel a little nostalgic. He couldn't remember the last time he had expressed himself so unguardedly.
But the vast differences between the Emiya Shirou Archer had been, and the Emiya Shirou standing before him now, were no longer possible to deny. The Holy Grail War had shaped them both, so that two such very different Grail Wars would yield such varied results shouldn't have come as a surprise.
Eirei and mage looked at each other in wary silence. Archer took it upon himself to speak, because there was to be no holding back any longer.
"It's not who you will save, but, who will you kill."
Shirou didn't reply, but his silence told Archer enough. Letting go of his goal would be hard, but it had been achieved in some form, if not through the means he originally envisioned.
"Very well. My objective has changed. Now is not the time for a personal vendetta."
The question in Shirou's eyes was easy enough to read, but answering it was something Archer wanted to avoid. He was letting go, and as far as he was concerned, that was all that mattered. Before Emiya could get a word out, Archer made himself immaterial, vanishing from conventional sight.
Heart sinking in despair, Rin stared at the door Sakura's sleeping form lay behind. Once more, Kotomine's words ran through her mind.
"I've used up all my magecraft seals. In the end, her state is beyond my ability to change."
And that hadn't been all. Kotomine, for all his nastier traits, was an incredible healer. During his examination, he had pointed out every last bruise, every last scar...and every way they had been inflicted. Rin would have been sick if she had had anything in her stomach.
As it was, horrifying mental images were running behind her eyes, underscored by shame and disgust, with herself, with the parents who had given Sakura up, with those who had hurt her sister so very badly for so long. Sakura had suffered the worst way a woman could at someone else's hands, many, many times. How could she have missed the signs? How could she have ignored the fact Sakura's hair and eye color hadn't been the same for an entire decade?
There wasn't any time to revile herself. Stiffly, Rin lifted her right hand, preparing the most instantly lethal Gandr blast she was capable of generating.
It was a testament to her level of distress that she hadn't noticed Shirou's presence until he grasped her wrist with vice-like strength.
"What, didn't you make up your mind when you came back here?" Rin lashed out bitterly.
"No, Tohsaka," Shirou returned, tone even and calm. "If you want to kill Sakura, I'll stop you." The gentleness with which he pushed down her still glowing arm was in complete contrast to the steel in his voice. "I won't let any sacrifice happen, even to save many others. Since it's come to this, we're enemies now."
The sound of glass breaking and footsteps pounding away drew the attention of both mages. Rin yanked open the door to find the bed empty and the window shattered enough for a person to get through.
"She must have heard you talking about killing her." Kotomine coolly interjected, studying the window with mild interest. Rin didn't bother sparing him a glare as she leaped out the window in an attempt to catch up with Sakura. She wasn't so far away that she couldn't hear Kirei's words to Shirou, though.
"Whatever you do, you won't be able to save Sakura. The only time she could have been saved was eleven years ago. There's no meaning in saving her anymore."
Tears didn't blur Rin's eyes as she carefully followed the trail of broken glass. Her despair was too great for tears.
An hour later, Rin gave up on her search, and stood waiting outside the gates of the Emiya home. As she expected, Shirou and Sakura returned together, hand in hand. The moment he caught sight of her, Shirou tensed up and moved protectively in front of Sakura.
"If you want to touch Sakura, you'll have to silence me first."
"I will kill Sakura, and kill you as well if you try to stop me. Even if you aren't a Master anymore."
Taking a deep breath, Sakura moved to Shirou's side.
"If...if you do so, then I will fight you as Rider's Master."
Rin looked at her sister intently, gauging the sincerity of her words.
"If you have that will, then there might still be a way, by getting the Grail. Zouken might just leave you alone if you do."
With that, Rin brushed past the couple, and headed on home.
It was with no small amount of concern that Archer was looking at Rin, sitting before her dresser with no more expression or movement then a doll. Her tea lay cold and untouched in front of her.
Archer would be the first to admit that consolation (or any sort of sensitive social interaction, truth be told) wasn't an area in which he was particularly talented. But Rin was someone he cared for, in life and as he was now, and it was killing him to see the blank, broken look in her eyes. He had a vague memory of her telling him nothing was harsher, more filled with sacrifice than the life of a magus, but he had never understood just how much until he saw Rin's agony of being forced to choose her responsibilities as the Tohsaka successor over the sister she loved. He just couldn't think of anything to say that could alleviate that sort of pain, even by a little.
To his far left, the wall clock struck ten, its deep tones jolting him out of his thoughts. Rin didn't move, eyes set downward but clearly looking at something-or someone-much further away. As the chimes slowly faded away, Archer got to his feet and stood before Rin.
"Rin."
No reaction.
"Rin."
Again, no reaction. Patience running thin, Archer put his hands on her shoulders.
"Rin."
She jumped as much as his firm grip allowed her to. Blinking slowly, as if she had just woken from a very deep sleep, Rin looked around the room, gaze finally settling on the clock.
"Oh." Rin slowly stood up. "It's late. I should get some rest."
"Yes, you should." Archer replied. "I'll watch over you."
Despite her words, Rin remained where she was, immobile. Sighing under his breath, Archer moved closer to her, placing his hand on her shoulder once more.
"Rin, you really do need to get some sleep. It's been a very long day."
She didn't respond, but as she lifted her eyes to meet his, he realized no words could express the sadness and pain and guilt that swam within their blue depths. That one look told him she was dangerously close to a breaking point no one could ever mend, and before he knew it his lips were touching her own.
It was a good twenty seconds before his mind managed to get over its shock and kick itself into gear, reminding him that not only was kissing Rin definitely under the heading of Monumentally Stupid Things He Shouldn't Do, Ever, but that he was taking advantage of an emotionally distraught girl on top of that. He pulled away from her as quickly as possible, hating himself all the more when he took in her trembling frame.
"Rin, I'm sor-"
As quickly as he had pulled away from her, Rin crushed her lips desperately against his own, wrapping her arms around neck to pull him closer still. In spite of himself, Archer's hands moved down, tracing the elegant curve of Rin's spine before firmly gripping her hips. At least he tried to protest, though when he opened his mouth her tongue slid in to tangle with his own, and he was lost.
Slightly winded by the loss of the energy he had just expended towards pleasing Rin, Archer leaned on his arm and took in the sight of Rin sleeping. Between her physical and emotional exhaustion, he was honestly surprised she had lasted so long. But Rin was a strong girl. She had to be, considering her only other choice would be to break and never get up again. Carefully, Archer brushed sweat-dampened hair away from her back before covering her with the comforter. He'd stay by her side until the dawn rose. He had made a promise, after all. The fact that it had been to Rin only made him more determined to keep it.
Several hours later, Master and Servant were on the great grounds of the Einzbern forest, united in their purpose of making an alliance with Illyasviel and absolutely not bringing up last night under any circumstances. At least Archer's current insubstantial state made achieving that last goal a little easier.
Holding back an irritated groan, Rin lifted her hand to shield her eyes from the sunlight filtering through the leaves. Abruptly, she stiffened as she sensed the presence of someone with magic circuits approaching. Preparing a few gemstones for protection, Rin moved a few feet only to have a bokken pointed right at her face.
Rin cast her best unimpressed look Shirou's way.
"Here for a picnic or something, Emiya-kun?"
He ignored her jibe, not lowering the bokken.
"You aren't here to fight Illya, are you? I'll stop you right here if you are!"
Rin rolled her eyes at him as she crossed her arms over her chest.
"Well, you still have that mindset of not letting people fight, don't you?" She frowned as she looked over Shirou's shoulder, catching flashes of lavender amidst the green of the trees. She opened her mouth to chastise him for bringing Rider along and leaving Sakura defenseless, when the forest ground shook underneath them.
"What was that?" Shirou yelped, scrambling for his dropped bokken.
Rin scanned the surrounding area, trying to pinpoint the source of the vibration.
"Probably Berserker-he's the only one heavy enough to cause it." She replied as Shirou turned on his heel and headed east, in the direction of Einzbern Manor, leaving the others following close behind. What Rin saw in the clearing nearly made her heart stop in shock.
Zouken and True Assassin.
Illyasviel and Berserker.
And a black Saber, a dark mirror of Shirou's former Servant, eyes hidden by a onyx-colored visor with red veins.
The Matou patriarch had vanished almost immediately after their arrival, but Black Saber and Berserker were already battling fiercely-and it was painfully obvious who had the advantage. Even Saber's blade, gone black and red, seemed to emit menace. Every hit from the shadowy Servant pushed Berserker back, and what few strikes he managed to get in Black Saber shrugged off.
It was all Rin could do to avoid being hit herself. Ilya was clinging to Shirou and crying-apparently, she had already realized Berserker's defeat was inevitable. Worse yet, the air was permeated with the same heavy feeling it had gotten when the Shadow showed up last. It was only a matter of moments before it came again to wreak havoc.
To Rin's disbelief, Ilya broke away from Shirou, heading to where the two Servants were battling it out in an suicidal effort to end the fight. Shirou grabbed the petite Master only to be knocked down by the sheer force of the blow that finished off Berserker.
Grim and silent as a specter of death, Black Saber stood before Shirou's prone form, tainted sword pointed at his throat. Her visor split in two from Berserker's last strike, revealing frosty gold eyes. Rin held her breath, not seeing any way she could possibly help.
Like a bolt of divine lightening, Archer's Traced Caladbolg took Black Saber by surprise, knocking her far back enough that Shirou was able to scramble away from her, Illya held tightly in his arms.
"What are you waiting for, fool?" Archer growled at him. "Get Ilya away from this place."
Rin saw Shirou give Black Saber one last sad look. Just as he was leaving, the Shadow arrived, fear and terror edged with black and red. After a moment's hesitation Shirou ran for it, Illya held tightly in his arms, but Rin's relief evaporated the moment she saw True Assassin in pursuit of the duo. Archer didn't waste a moment, Tracing Durendal before dashing forward to hold off the skeletal Servant.
Suddenly, Archer turned to her with a horrified look, leaping toward her faster than she had ever seen him move before. It isn't until his blood stained her face and shirt that Rin realized he took the blow the Shadow meant for her, the mysterious entity having already claimed Shirou's left arm.
With icy certainty, Rin knew he was done for.
They returned as a group to the Kotomine Church. Where else would they have gone? If there was anything to be done, Kirei was the best person to go to. Though Archer's life was steadily fading, he was still strong enough to make it to the Church on his own. Rider carried Shirou's unconscious body inside as gently as possible.
Somehow, Rin wasn't surprised to see Sakura already there, under Kotomine's care. She nearly reached out to stroke the sleeping girl's hair before she stopped herself. It was a privilege Rin no longer had.
She looked to where Shirou was laying, still unconscious and breathing weakly. Rin hadn't needed Kotomine's medical opinion to tell there wasn't a chance for both Shirou and Archer.
But for Shirou alone…
Rin looked to where Archer and Rider were quietly talking. The acoustics of the Church meant that she could hear them almost as clearly as if she had been standing by them.
"Archer, are you serious when you say that?" The lavender-haired eirei asked, her voice perfectly calm.
"It's better than having us both disappear," Archer replied as he let out a deep breath. "This body is reaching its limits anyway."
Rin stared at her folded hands with dry eyes and a heavy heart, not bothering to say anything. It wasn't as if she had any way of keeping him by her side.
The great doors of the church opened silently as Kirei walked inside, Ilya close behind.
"Well?" The priest prompted. "Time is running out. If you've made your choice, let me hear it now."
Archer's collected expression didn't change.
"Transplant my left arm onto Emiya Shirou."
"It isn't that simple, you know. Your arm won't disappear with you when we bind it to Emiya's magic circuits, and his own mana will consider it as his own flesh, but it isn't the process itself that's the problem." Kotomine reminded Archer. "It's possible, but merging spiritual and physical flesh will ultimately result in rejection, no matter how perfect the match."
Archer shrugged. "The point is that Emiya survives for as long as possible."
Ilya spoke up at this. "Even if it'll kill him in the end? If Shirou uses your arm, he will be overrun by its power - using its power even once will awaken your magic circuits and switch on a time bomb, and his death will only be a matter of time. "
The eirei smirked tiredly at that. "No one lives forever, Ilya. But as he is now, he won't live to see the morning." His attention shifted to Kotomine. "Get ready. We'll start as soon as possible."
Kotomine nodded, exiting with Illya as abruptly as he had entered, Rider following immediately after.
Painful silence filled the church, broken only by the sound of Shirou's strained breathing.
"Rin, come here."
"Which of us is the Master again?" Rin asked sarcastically as she kneeled down next to him, though her heart wasn't in it.
He just looked at her knowingly. Rin flushed, resisting the urge to look away.
"I don't have much time left, Rin."
"Then don't waste it telling me what I already know!" Rin retorted, knowing perfectly well how irrational her anger at Archer was-and how unable she was to help it.
"What if I told you something you didn't know?" Archer asked, and the intensity of his voice caught her off-guard.
Rin blinked before realization dawned on her.
"Like…" Who the hell you really are?
Archer looked ready if incredibly reluctant to elaborate when the church doors opened once more to reveal Rider and Ilya standing next to each other.
"Please hurry, Archer." Ilya spoke, sounding far older than her years. Rider had already retrieved Shirou, carrying him with no apparent difficulty.
"Go ahead, I'll be there in a second." Archer responded. Looking at Master and Servant with eyes that saw far more than Rin felt comfortable with, the ruby-eyed homunculus bowed her head before trailing after Rider.
"Arch-" Rin murmured before he kissed her with near-bruising force, and just as quickly let her go.
"There isn't the time anymore. If you truly wish to know, Ilya is the only one who will be able to tell you."
Rin sat rigidly, frozen in denial. Archer looked down at her with understanding, and she kind of hated him for it, for being able to go on when she could not.
"Goodbye, Rin."
An hour later, Rin's final Command Seal disappeared, a single tear splashing on her wrist where the small crescent used to be.
Once more, she had been left behind.
Author's Notes:
Lord in Heaven, was this difficult to write. Sure, it's true I devote a disturbing amount of time pondering the many, many, many different ways Archer and Rin could go about making little Tohsakas, but it usually doesn't involve angst in any way. Sadly, there was just no way out of it-I tried writing the sex scene to be sweeter and it completely jarred with the rest of the fic. So I gave it my best shot, and while I'm no Yukari Rin, I'm not unhappy with it. The fact that things will smooth out far more easily after this chapter helps. In keeping with my Crossing The Universe naming pattern, the title was taken from the lyrics for "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", which isn't my favorite Across The Universe song by far, yet I found perfect for the guilty pain that was the Heaven's Feel Rin + Sakura relationship. The lyrics "I don't know why nobody told you/how to unfold you love/I don't know how someone controlled you/they bought and sold you", is so Rin speaking to Sakura it isn't even funny. An awful lot of emphasis on their relationship, but Rin's feelings over Sakura is what moves her to reach out to Archer, so it's pretty important.
"The Tohsaka-style of magecraft is based off of the teachings of the True Magic User Kishua Zelretch Schweinorg, using jewels to store a lifetime's worth of mana."-sigh I may as well have put the words "IMPORTANT PLOT POINT HERE" in gigantic glowing letters for all the subtlety of this line. But it is important, because Zelretch (a)will be showing up in later chapters and (b)has to do with one of the five types of True Magic, which is going to play in my plot device to resurrect Archer.
True Magic: This'll come into play more in the next chapter, but basically it is described as "achievements impossible to accomplish with modern science or mage craft". In other words, miracles. There are five kinds in all, but the two that matter most in the Fate verse (and in Heaven's Feel route only) are the Second Magic, referred to as Zelretch or Kaleidoscope, which concerns parallel universes, and the Third Magic, referred to as Heaven's Feel, concerning materialization of the soul. That the Grail War happens at all is because of the Third Magic, which allows for resurrection (like in the summoning of Servants who are all long dead) and immortality. Traditionally, the Third has been the territory of the Einzberns, but somehow they lost it and thus founded the Grail Wars in an attempt to regain their lost miracle. The normal Grail (i.e., a vessel like Ilya) collects the souls of defeated eirei, while the Greater Grail system controls the war as a whole. More on specific artifacts of these two True Magics to come later…
Archer: He was pretty dominant in this chapter, but I think it works. He's the sort who takes charge if it's for the best, which was more or less the case here. Also, it's pretty obvious who has the greater amount of sexual experience between him and Rin (who wasn't even in her usual confident state that would have made her try to take more of an equal role), and once Rin's experience builds up, the balance of power will definitely even out. He had his memories too, but never did get a chance to tell Rin who he was. Also, for those of you who want to know, Durendal is the sword of Roland, which in the F/SN verse is enchanted by three miracles, allowing its blade to never dull even when its user's Mana has been expended. The original is in Gilgamesh's Gates of Bablyon, which Archer used as the original source for most of the Traced weapons in Unlimited Blade Works. Ah, Tracing. Plagarism of the TYPE-MOON world. XD
And don't worry-he's not permanently gone by any means. It wouldn't be much of a 30(underscore)lemons challenge if I killed him off just as things were getting good.
Rin: Here's a girl who is in desperate need of a good therapist. Fighting for your life with only one person in the world you can trust is hard enough, but add the fact that your precious little sister has lived through over a decade of constant abuse and you have to kill her before she becomes a threat to more innocent people? I truly believe if Rin had ended up killing Sakura, she would have taken her own life, partly to satisfy her own sense of fairness and partly because no one could live with that kind of guilt. It's something of a miracle that Rin managed to keep it together enough not to have a nervous breakdown, much less make things right in the end. I think in such circumstances, you'd draw comfort and strength from whatever you could-which makes her having sex with Archer believable. He was her only ally at that point, and I think his actions comforted her, in at least helping her feel less alone.
She has a lot more to do, but she's crossed the first hurdle in her relationship with Archer, so things can only get better after Sakura is saved. Of course, they don't romantically love each other-it's way too soon for that-but they care about each other, and there's definitely a spark that can be fueled into something much bigger if you catch my drift.
Ilya: She's the Holy Grail vessel, so she has a kind of omnipotence as far as the war is concerned, and apparently she is also able to connect with the memories of the homunculus who is the core of the Greater Grail (and the master of the Third) Lizleihi Justizia von Einzbern. Ilya says soon after Archer dies that she is the only one who knows the true connection between Archer and Shirou-and after Rin realizes Shirou has Archer's version of her pendent, she pretty much forces the truth out of Ilya. Not that they showed that scene in the game, more like hinted at it, but still, you could tell Rin eventually knew the truth.
Sakura and Shirou: Both pretty under-developed here, but the point of this story is to focus on Archer and Rin, not these two. At least they're both toughening up, and Sakura will get her happy ending. I'll be glad when I can have her call Rin "Nee-san", and I have a feeling once this whole mess is sorted out she's so going to get a sister complex, which should clash amusingly with Archer's budding relationship with Rin. Either that, or she'll become hell bent on setting them up-right now I'm torn between which would be funnier.
Rider: My second favorite character (Archer and Rin tie for first), you have to admire her utter loyalty to Sakura as well as her personal strength. Rider has really cute personality traits too, and it never ceases to amuse me that she pretty much has a shy librarian's personality with those supermodel looks. XD
Kotomine: He's evil and an ass to boot, but it's game canon that he's incredibly talented at healing both physical and spiritual bodies. Well, he's doomed, so I'm not going to waste time with him. It's pretty impressive that later he managed to run 100 meters in 7 seconds while carrying Ilya, though. There can't be that many priests out there who could pull that off.
Black Saber: Saber, corrupted by the tainted Grail. I really wish I could have thought of a way to save her as well as Archer, but I couldn't. Pretty bad-ass, though, and because of the current source of her mana, even stronger now than she was when she was alive. Regular Saber might make an appearance again in a dream or vision, because I'd like to include her a little to make up for not even describing her fight with True Assassin and the Shadow.
Zouken: He's an evil guy whose been abusing Sakura ever since she was put under his care. It was his worm familiars swimming through her bloodstream, tainted with the evil of the Grail, that changed Sakura's hair and eye color. A 200-hundred year old vampire whose goal is immortality, he helped found the Grail Wars along with the Tohsaka and Einzbern, but he wasn't a participant.
True Assassin: He was summoned by Zouken using the corpse of Assassin as a catalyst. His true identity is Hassan Sabbah, the leader of an assassination organization originating in the Middle East. Legendary head known as the "Old Man of the Mountain", and origin of the word assassin. He's pretty scary looking, and was summoned for every Grail War except the fifth one, because of Caster's interference.