-x-
I began to feel better after preparing myself a hot cup of my favorite Chinese red tea. Luckily, I could get up on my feet without assistance, so it seems my energy's returned and I'm glad. I needed to calm my nerves down after that-to put it mildly-unusual conversation I had earlier with my Servant. I had also earned myself a shocker coming into the spotless living room. Apparently, Lancer had spent the first two hours cleaning up in here since I had fallen asleep. All the furniture had been put back in their rightful places, and all the rubble had been cleared away. The carpet is spotless and seemingly untouched too. My living room appears as if it had never been bombed by Lancer.
...Well, aside from the gaping hole in the ceiling. I guess even Servants can't fix that sort of damage. Though she did promise to patch it up if I could spare her several planks of wood. Great. And I don't exactly have the money to get it fixed in any way.
"Hmm..." I'm sitting on the sofa that was a cushion for Lancer's landing just several hours ago. "I'd better not go to school for today."
I don't trust myself going there in my state. It's fine if I walk around, but I have gym class, and I distinctly remember our teacher announcing that we'd be running laps today. Hmm, certainly I could excuse myself saying I'm not feeling well. But that would only be if I'm not Tohsaka Rin. I have a reputation to uphold as a good student. Staying at home when I'm sick is more dignified than feeling faint halfway through the day. Besides, it makes me seem much stronger when I appear to have been holding out yesterday, then hit my limits being at home. Also, making excuses as being sick can never sit well with me, especially if I'm faking.
"...Um, I am skipping though, aren't I?"
Well, that can't be helped. Today, I have an important task: preparations for the Holy Grail War. I grasp the red jewel tucked safely in my pocket, thinking about my first move. At the moment, Lancer is in the kitchen, preparing breakfast for us both. My attention goes to her first. Since she hasn't retrieved her memories yet, I'll have to focus on her fighting abilities rather than her special skills. As long as she's capable of close combat in her state, then I may be able to provide backup with my remaining ten jewels. I had used up the rest on the summoning ritual, so I better not waste these.
"Let's see. What else?" I ask myself, rubbing the surface of my cup, and I glance up when Lancer enters the room. She's toting a tray of toast and two glasses of milk. She sets the plate of toast and a full glass on the coffee table before me, and takes her own glass to sit on the other sofa opposite the one I'm occupying.
To be honest, Servants really don't need to eat or drink. They feed off the magic energy of their Masters to sustain them. So for Lancer to be drinking milk isn't actually a necessity, but an interest that she had expressed earlier before going into the kitchen. I watch her for a while before setting my empty cup down and bringing the toast close for inspection. Crisp but retaining its tenderness overall, just the way I always like it.
Though normally I only ever have milk and/or tea in the morning, toast is half a day's meal for me already. Absurd as that is, it's just the way I eat. And besides, I'll consider this a celebration of sorts. The toast I'm eating is special due to the fact that Lancer made it for me. Of course, it had been me who pointed out various things in the kitchen, teaching her how to make toast without the trouble of burning the house down. But then, she didn't seem to need my help identifying anything at all and I suppose it's only natural.
In addition to being given corporeal forms, the Holy Grail grants the most basic information of this era-information held by the average human of today-to Servants summoned into the world. A basic household appliance wouldn't be a puzzle to my Lancer, so she even knew how to work the stove. So it's a pleasant surprise for me, which means I can have someone to cook for me now. A Servant is a familiar, afterall.
"Master?" Lancer's inquiring voice brings me back to reality. She's looking expectantly at me. "How's the toast?"
I'm caught off-guard a bit and focus my thoughts on the toast before answering. "...It's well done, Lancer."
She suddenly looks downcast hearing that. "Oh...my apologies. I didn't think it was burnt. I had some trouble understanding the dial on your stove so I must have made a mistake halfway."
Lancer casts a look of apology and embarrassment in my direction, and I feel my eyes widen slightly in disbelief. How can this unpredictable troublemaker look so bad yet so good at the same time...?
"Th-that's not it, Lancer." Taking a small bite, I set my plate down on the coffee table. "You misunderstand me. Your cooking was very much acceptable. The toast in all its simplicity satisfies me, and I'm gratified by your efforts. I would like it if you cook more for me from now on. You seem really good at it."
As I give her the same smile I gave Saegusa Yukika the other day, I rack my brain for any heroic spirit who might have been praised as a good cook...not like that would bring up anything. Lancer looks surprised by my words before smiling gratefully at me herself.
"Then I comply. I wouldn't mind cooking for my Master if it makes her that happy."
"-" Unsure of what to say, I pick up my plate again and watch her drink her milk quietly like a well-mannered guest in my house. She might have been well brought-up if she had good manners. Still...something about her clothes strikes me as unknightly. Yes, I had been thinking along the lines of one such warrior. But perhaps her overall jaunty behavior casts a big shadow over the possibility of her being a disciplined and obedient knight. Two things I can confirm she is not. And the more I look at her, the more I feel as if she must have lived such a carefree life...
"My thanks for the meal." This simple breakfast is enough to fill me up, and I'm now ready to conduct our strategy meeting. Lancer makes to stand and clear away the table, but I put up a hand to cease her. "No, not yet. Let's discuss now while my mind's this fresh still."
With all my previous tiredness and irritation gone, I clear my head of trivial matters. I want to get a headstart on things.
"Does Master want to set out immediately and charge the enemies in broad daylight?" Lancer asks me without reserve, giving me a pointed look at the same time as if she can't believe it.
...I do declare. This barrage of smart mouthing has got to stop! Just when I'm starting to like her too...
"Lancer, do you take me to be some sort of idiot? The answer is no." I answer her with my own directness and a stern gaze. "My intentions to attack a Master during the day would certainly be misguided, and a cause of desperate and overconfident measures to overcome my enemies with an iron fist. If you believe that is how I operate, then I'm sorry to disappoint you."
The Tohsaka motto: Act with dignity. This simple saying is something I've been following as a personal code for almost ten years as a magus. To live with dignity, and die with dignity. It's also a safety net that keeps me from acting so rashly in difficult situations.
Anyway...Lancer's giving me a cryptic smile in response to my words. Just what goes through her head when she does that? It's so annoying...
"I understand and my apologies, Master." she rises to her feet and bows her head in a show of sincerity, which I'm starting not to buy. "But, I'll be frank and admit that I've been testing your readiness throughout the duration of our time together."
...I knew it. Her honesty's as refreshing as a dried mango.
"Do I meet your expectations so far, Lancer?" All the same, I challenge her straightforwardly with eye contact.
Lancer answers with a dry tone and a thoughtful face to match. "You mean my approval? Halfway, you do not. I can only justify what to expect from my Master."
She continues to smile at me after saying that. Huh, let's see...candle smile, pixie smile, beaming smile, cryptic smile, and of course...that smile. Why is it called just that? Because no matter how many times she pulls this expression on me, and though I'm certain that this is the one smile that doesn't reach her eyes, I feel no ire or any ill intent of any sort on her part when it comes to it. And so, anything that crosses her mind when she makes that smile is a mystery. I don't dare call her enigmatic; that's giving her too much credit.
Anyway, I don't like her answer as much as her expression. She seems cold on both parts, and I have a rather accurate opinion of her true nature now...simple yet impudent.
-x-
The sun's long set in the horizon and the wind's catching my hair and skirt. Rewinding to earlier this morning, Lancer and I discussed the finer points of our battle strategy, which was decidedly shortened to, "Just hit if they're hitting back" when I realized that planning without confirming the enemy's abilities would be pointless. After that, she and I got to the actual location in which the battles would occur. My answer was quick: the intersection.
At night, it would be empty save for us and the enemy, and it's spacey with lots of room for heavy-duty fighting. It's also a good spot for creating a Bounded Field to nullify noises, as well as distort reality to hide the fight and allow no one else to witness it. A safety precaution, no, a very strict rule sent out by the Church to the participants. Lancer had agreed with my reasoning, but still went and voiced her opinion about her preference to fight in a secluded yet open grassy field.
"I like grass."
That was her simple explanation. Thorough as I like being, I had chosen not to push the subject further if it meant that Lancer was going to be "genial" again. I've had enough agitation to last me for the day. After that, I left the house with her beside me-in spiritual form, of course-, and had given her a roundabout tour of the city of Fuyuki. From Miyama to the Shinto district, we spent the whole day like that. Lancer seemed to have had no problems studying the layout of Fuyuki. It doesn't need to be said how important it is to be familiar with the battlefield's terrain.
Even though the intersection's an ideal spot for fighting, there's no guarantee that all the Masters live on this side of the city, the Miyama district. Not every magus who joins the Holy Grail War is a local. There are those who come from abroad to get into the fight. Also, Shinto has an availability of apartments and hotels so...I may have to give chase at some point during the fight, especially if the enemy turns tail. Do you think that's rude?
...Well, it's a brave and tactical approach if you ask me. There will be no courtesy in battle. Once you pick a fight with me, you had better see it to the bitter and victorious end.
"Master?"
Lancer comes to stand next to me in physical form. In case you're wondering, we're at the highest tower overlooking Shinto. On the rooftop, to be precise. This is the last spot for the day, so she and I are going to stay here for a little bit for as long as she wants to. I'm letting her conclude the layout of the city from up here. It is now past seven in the evening. So far, the tour had been going pretty well. That was before coming to the Shinto park.
Well...it's not so much a park, but a gray lifeless field. Everywhere one should turn, it's just dead trees and dry grass with no hope of being restored. Ten years ago, a fire broke out in that area, and residences and lives were lost the night it happened. Now, only an empty field is left to commemorate the spot. The city had put benches around to give the park some feel, but even so, not many people would want to come to such a desolate area. Being there didn't seem to bother Lancer, since she'd made some off-hand comments to me about ghosts lurking in the trees and whatnot.
I wonder...was she trying to test my courage? You know...she's an oddity but sweet from time to time since I've gotten acquainted with her. But mostly, she drives me up the wall with her judgmental attitude. I mean, is she even a real person for having this distasteful personality...?
"Master?" Lancer furrows her brows concernedly in my direction as she addresses me again. She's the very definition of spun sugar for the moment.
"It's nothing." I excuse myself from my inner monologue. "More importantly, Lancer, have you come to understand the terrain of Fuyuki well enough?"
She nods earnestly. "Affirmative. Perimeter check was substantial, and application of territorial advantages will take effect as soon as the battles begin."
-? Eh? Is it just me or...
"Lancer...you sound certain about your fighting abilities."
She smiles as if happy about it. "The view of the city made me feel a little nostalgic, so I feel much more confident should tomorrow be our chance, Master."
I give her a strange look, trying to comprehend her words. Then, it quickly dawns on me.
"W...wait." I stutter in surprise. "Does that mean that, you're getting some of your memories back?"
The smile falters, and Lancer thinks some more before answering. "...I think so, Master. But so far, familiar behavior only seems to float to the surface everytime I try and remember something about myself. I fear I still have a long way to go before I can invoke the true name of my trump card."
"...Oh." I sound disappointed. At this rate, the war would soon be over, and she still hadn't recovered half of her memories by then... "Anyway, let's head back, Lancer, if we're finished here."
"Quite. There's nothing more to do here." Lancer suddenly drops her tone. "And...we shouldn't give our watcher this much entertainment."
...I nearly forgot because I'm not worrying so much about it as I should. Since entering the Shinto park, a mysterious pair of eyes found us walking around and have been trailing us ever since. No doubt, he or she is still observing us from someplace. A Master is the answer to whom. This one probably stumbled upon us by accident, and refuses to let me shake them off. It's my fault, really. My magic energy is a signature for all other magi to detect and recognize. Most powerful magi carry around a special item to conceal their magic energy from other magi. I'm not boasting, but I am noticeable at the rate I go, especially now that I'm a Master. I just let that happen to attract the Masters' attention, actually. I...I don't have an excuse for my actions.
Anyway, Lancer's only capable of sensing other Servants, so even she couldn't pinpoint the hidden location of our spy. It doesn't matter. There's a limit to a magus's clairvoyance. I bet they'd only be able to see as far as the bridge, but not beyond it here in Shinto.
"What a Peeping Tom." My Servant amusedly laughs it off as if it's nothing, trailing after me in spiritual form.
I ignore her and head for the elevator. I wish to call it a day, since I'm starting to feel sleepy.
-x-
By the time we get back to Miyama, it's already past nine o'clock. Unlike the lively Shinto, it's quiet in Miyama at night due to the fact that no one goes walking around at this time. I climb up the gentle slope towards my house, and I freeze in my tracks.
There's someone else on the empty street.
And she's the last person I expected to meet today.
"...Sakura...?" I whisper in apprehension. I can't get caught by her here. My instincts drive me into ducking in a nearby alley.
"Master...?" Lancer's puzzled voice speaks up from somewhere near me.
I hush her. "That girl goes to my school. She and I know each other."
Looking up ahead, the plum-haired girl is...talking with someone. A foreigner, I believe, judging from his blond hair. I glare at them. For some reason, I feel like jumping out and getting in between them. Perhaps, it's because Sakura doesn't look so comfortable conversing with that strange man. What does he want with her anyway? But then, I'm angry at myself for being too soft where that girl's involved.
"...Lancer, is he human?" I whisper the question to her.
Her seemingly uncaring response comes too slowly. "He's physically present, so he may be human. Anyway, he isn't a Servant, Master."
"Right. He's not a Master either, so I guess they're just talking."
I suddenly feel Lancer's invisible gaze on me, and I curse myself for saying too much.
"...They're gone." she whispers to me, as soon as the blond man disappears down the road we had come up.
-x-
Fatigue hits me hard once I step into my room. I just want to curl in bed and sleep, forgetting all about the Holy Grail War for just this night. But...
"...I have to contact Kirei before that."
Kotomine Kirei is the priest of the church up the hill in Shinto. He's also the overseer of the Holy Grail War, sent by the Church as a representative to make sure nothing weird goes on during this event. Frankly, to me he's a fake priest for reasons I don't like getting into. And hours before Lancer's summoning, he left a message on my answering machine, telling me plainly to hurry up or be replaced. Hmph. Anyway, he's my guardian, so calling him is the least I can do.
Sitting on my bed, I pick up the phone on my bedside table and dial the number. He picks up after three rings.
"Kirei? It's me." I speak at once. "I formed a contract with a Servant yesterday, so register me officially as a Master."
"-" he says nothing. Just his quietness is enough to bring on stress even over the phone.
"I understand." Kirei's hollow voice responds. "Come and see me at least once as protocol. Also, I have something to give you that I received from your father. He said to give it to you only if you become a Master, and before you become an adult."
"Oh, you mean Father's will? I already deciphered it and got the items, so it's fine. I'll come and see you if I feel like it. Goodnight."
Kirei presses on. "Wait, Rin. If you are a Master now-"
The connection drops as I hang up the phone with a tired sigh. Really. If I hear him going on another lecture, I may nod off. Which is not necessarily a bad thing but still impolite to him.
I change into my sleepwear and shut the lights off. I lie under the sheets, slowly letting sleep catch up with me. Lancer is downstairs using the living room to detain herself for until I'd need her.
...Ten years ago, my father competed as a Master and was defeated. I'm entering that same battle as we speak...and I intend to see it through to the end.