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Fate/Stay Night: Chapter Red
Chapter 04- The Knight of Treachery, Mordred Pendragon!
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Shirou slowly cracked open his eyes, where was he? This didn't look like Japan. In fact it looked like a medieval renaissance fair. There where no tall skyscrapers, no electric lights, there wasn't even a car of any kind. Just huts, horses, lanterns, and... A castle off in the distance. This place looked like something out of phantasy novel, if Shirou didn't know any better he'd think he was in Camelot or... Something.
He wandered the streets until he saw a crowed of people huddled together on two sides. What was going on? He tried to call out, but no one even turned their head. That was rude. He walked over to the first person he saw and tried to tap them on the shoulder, only for his hand to pass right through them.
WHAT?!
He tried again and again to tap the guy's shoulder, but again he was met with the same result. His hand passed right through him. Shirou was beginning to freak out, what happened to him? Was he dead? Was he a ghost? He took a deep breath to steady his mind, just what had happened to him for him to be here?
Shirou tightly shut his eyes and tried to focus. He was doing his damnedest to remember but his mind was a jumbled mess. All he could remember was blood and a scream. Both of which came from him. He eventually stopped thinking when he heard the people beginning to cheer and clap.
"Our King!"
"Arthur!"
"King Arthur!"
"Our King Arthur Pendragon!"
"The promised King!"
Arthur Pendragon?! The King of Knights! The one true King of Camelot! Shirou moved deeper into the crowed to get a better look. Coming down the road on a white horse was none other than the King... Arthur Pendragon. It had to be the way the people were cheering and showering him with praise. The others on horseback behind him must be the knights of the round table.
Shirou's attention shifted back to the king. He looked very feminine for a male and looked to only be in his late teens with blemishless skin, familiar green eyes, and a slender physique. Atop there head was a small golden crown that seemed to almost blend in with their finely textured blonde hair that looked as if it had been sprinkled with gold dust. The King wore a shining silver armor that contrasted well with the old styled dress that was made from an old fashioned blue cloth underneath.
The thing about the storied King that caught Shirou's attention the most was his face. Emotionless and empty. Even in the face of all this praise, the king didn't smile, his face didn't even flinch, it was as if he was cut from stone. Just seeing the emotionless expression on the King's face made some of the cheers die down.
Shirou backed away slightly confused until he heard a soft but familiar voice behind him. In a small alleyway stood a cloaked figure who seemed so familiar to Shirou and yet so different. They had the same blonde hair and jade eyes as the King. In the right light they could pass as the King's younger sister.
"That's Arthur, the King of Knights." they said in slight awe.
No sooner had those words been uttered, a dark figure appeared beside the nameless youth. Their face was hidden behind a black veil and they had an air of darkness around them. Shirou had never met this woman but he could already tell she was trouble. He didn't know why, but all he wanted to do was get this woman as far away as possible from the young girl admiring the King, but knew that was impossible.
The veiled woman wrapped he arms around the young girl's shoulders and began to whisper in her ears, "Yes. The hero you should aim to become and the enemy you need to defeat."
Shirou didn't like where this was going. That woman was not only manipulative, she was also dangerous. Shirou couldn't tell what the young girl was thinking, if he could he would know she thought being a hero like the King and defeating him was not possible. The King was just so stunning and perfect... That's why she would choose to serve under his wing. She would soon become his sword and eliminate all who opposed him.
The scenery around Shirou began to shift, no longer was he in the streets hearing people sing the King's praises... No, he was now in a burning castle in a place unknown to him. Even worse people where being slaughtered. Knights were being cut down by a single warrior, another knight with what appeared to be devil horns on their helmet. One-by-one they cut down any knight who was feeling brave enough. Soon only one enemy remained. He was so scarred he was shaking in his armor. Back against the wall and with no escape, the knight with horns approached him.
Who was this mad knight that was freely spilling blood? Why did they seem so familiar?
"Answer me. Why did you choose to betray our King?" the horned knight asked. That voice! Shirou instantly recognized it as the girl from that back alley. They where covered head to toe in armor and it appeared they had grown quite a bit. How much time had passed?
The man on the back wall continued to cower but still spoke. "The King is far too perfect."
"Fool!" the horned knight howled as she raised her blade.
Shirou wanted to stop her. He ran up to her to try but he passed right through her just like everyone else. He had to watch on as her blade sliced the last knight open like a stuffed pig. It was horrifying to see so much blood in one place. There was just so much of it, the floors and walls where slick with it. Even the horned knight's armor was painted crimson.
"Where is the sense in being dissatisfied with a perfect king?" she asked to no one. The King is selfless... He only takes what is needed, nothing unnecessary remains. He has no dreams, Nor does he need them.
The scenery shifts yet again. Shirou was now in what he assumed was part of the castle. There was not a soul in sight except for the one watching the sunset. It was the girl from the alley. Shirou could now tell she was older now that her helmet was gone. It really did make him wonder how much time had passed. The female knight looked so peaceful watching the sunset with the wind blowing against her hair. It was moments of calm like these that Shirou enjoyed.
That moment of calm was interrupted however when another voice inserted itself. "Mordred!"
That name. "Mordred". Shirou knew that name. Just where had he heard it? It was the girl's name no question, but why was it so damn familiar? Worse yet, why was the veiled woman here? Again Shirou wanted to get Mordred far away from this woman. She had the stench of pure evil and vile manipulation wafting off her.
"Tell me. Just how long do you intend to play knight?"
"Mother." Mordred greeted in surprise.
"You are heir to the throne, so stop living in his shadow! You are his child! His living essence!" the veiled woman pleaded.
Mordred was the King's daughter? That would explain why they looked so similar Shirou thought. But this woman was clearly not the King's wife. Who was she? More importantly, why is she trying to use Mordred to get to the King. It couldn't just be the throne could it?
Mordred seemed almost at a loss for words. She looked over at the tallest tower of the castle with a smile on her face. Shirou was surprised at how earnest her smile was, it was as if her wildest dreams that seemed unreachable had finally come true. "You're saying that... King Arthur, is my father."
A smile as earnest as that one on the girl's face should make Shirou happy on principle alone. So why was it that his gut felt twisted up in knots? Something terrible was about to happen, Shirou could feel it. This moment right here had altered this girl's destiny forever... And now everyone else was along for the ride. Whoever that veiled woman was, she just ignited the fires of something horrible.
Shirou watched as the veiled woman vanished into the shadows and Mordred made her way over to the tallest tower. Once more the scenery transformed... And the feeling of dread in Shirou's gut intensified. He was now in an entirely red room filled with chairs. Was this some kind of war room? The only two people in the room where the King and his knight, and things were not going well.
"You won't acknowledge me as your son, is that your answer King of knights?" the once earnest smile on Mordred's face was now replaced with a harsh frown. Her voice was no longer filled with shock and admiration, just bitterness and pain.
Shirou could almost feel the heartbreak Mordred was feeling right now. The King had rejected her. The perfect King, Arthur Pendragon didn't even give her a straight answer. His face was the same as it was during that trot through town with the rest of the round. Empty and Unfeeling. He turned his back to her, and just walked away, not once turning back.
Shirou couldn't believe what he was seeing. This was the perfect King? He looked back at Mordred to see her trembling with rage. Shirou wanted to just give her a hug at that point, to tell her everything would be alright. But he knew in his heart that wouldn't work even if she could see or feel him. He instinctively took a step back from her when he saw her face, it was contorted into a look of pure hate. It looked unnatural on her, where did all this hatred come from?
"I was fine being in your shadow. But you never even once turned around to look me in the eyes. Why won't you acknowledge me!" Mordred practically screamed, her fists clenching so tight Shirou could hear the leather of her gloves stretching. "I'm going to destroy everything you've worked for do you hear me! ARTHUR!"
The scenery shifted for what seemed like the final time. Shirou covered his mouth in horror. The sky itself seemed to be as red as death. The whole area wreaked of bloody death. Mountain upon mountain of bodies and blades laid strewn across the battlefield. So much blood, so much death, so much destruction, what could have done all this?
"Where is King Arthur?!" a familiar voice screamed. "Show yourself to me King of Knights!"
Shirou turned just in time to see the horned knight Mordred screaming at the heavens for the King. She'd just finished cutting down and enemy knight before hunching over. It was clear as day that she was exhausted. How long had she been fighting this battle? She looked around her taking in all the corpses that formed these mountains. She began to cough violently as fatigue was starting to fully set in. She couldn't afford to go down yet, not until she faced the King.
She grit her teeth under her helmet as a shadow loomed over her. Like Shirou she looked up to see the object of her vendetta. The King of Knights himself. He stood with grace as he looked down at Mordred from the tallest tower of bodies. Even when surrounded by the corpses of his allies and friends, his face was unchanging. Stone cold and empty. Just looking at the supposed perfect King made Shirou question if the man even had a heart.
"How's this? Do you see King Arthur? Your kingdom will end here! This is revenge for not relinquishing the throne to me!"
The King said nothing. He just readied his blade as if this was just another battle. Mordred seethed.
"Do you hate me?" she asked. "Do you detest me that much?!"
The King remained silent.
Shirou seriously wanted the King to say something. To show any kind of emotion instead of being aloof. Mordred and Arthur were the last two knights on the battlefield from what he could see and yet he continued to remain silent. Mordred wasn't just his child but a knight that served under him faithfully. That all changed when the King outright rejected her. Why wouldn't the King say anything? She was in a great deal of pain and yet the King opted for silence.
"Do you hate me because I am the child of a witch?"
Silence.
Mordred shook with rage. "Answer me, ARTHUR!"
Both charged at each other with their respective blades raised. Clarent versus the sword of promised victory Excalibur. Both blades clashed wildly as they stood atop the mountain of their fallen allies. All Shirou wanted was for them to stop. They where family, they shouldn't be fighting each other in the first place. If they didn't stop one or both of them were going to wind up dead.
Eventually Mordred got the upper-hand and relieved Arthur of the blade that had won him every battle thus far. The beautiful golden blade know as Excalibur was sent flying through the air and landed perfectly at Shirou's feet. Even though there was a battle going on in front of him he couldn't help but admire the blade's craftsmanship. He had never seen a sword like this before and he doubted he ever would again.
Back up on the hill Mordred and Arthur had separated from their brief exchange and stared each other dead in the eyes. After all Shirou had seen of the King, he had finally broken his silence. It was strange to hear him speak, his voice sounded as feminine as he looked. The main thing that stuck out about it was how monotoned it sounded. The King sounded dead, as if the weight of the kingdom and troubles of the world had been pressed down upon him... Squeezing every last bit of life from his body.
"I have never once thought of you as detestable."
Mordred seemed shocked that the King... Her father had finally spoken to her. She was even more shocked when Arthur pulled out Rhongomynaid, his trusty lance. It was known as the lance that shines to the ends of the world. If Excalibur was like the sun then Rhongomynaid was like the moon. It wasn't a weapon the King used often, in fact he used it so rarely that people forgot he could use a lance at all. Shirou on his part could only be in awe of it's craftsmanship just like Excalibur.
When the King raised his lance, Shirou felt nothing but dread fill his stomach. His eyes widened as his instincts told him what was to happen next. Even though he couldn't interfere with anything here, he still felt as if he had to try. He did the only thing he could do... Run toward the pair.
The king's hair fell over his eyes, enveloping them in shadow. That combined with the red sunset behind him gave him the soulless appearance of a devil. It was ironic in a way. The knight with the horns looked so tame in comparison to the one who was supposed to be a symbol for all that's good in the world.
"The reason I did not relinquish the throne..."
Mordred brought up her sword in defense.
Shirou was almost there... Just a little further.
Mordred's eyes widened as the end was coming near. Behind her helmet she could see her doom. Arthur was too quick and she was too worn out to dodge. There was no way she was going to be able to avoid this strike. No way for her to save herself.
Shirou finally stopped running. There was no point anymore. He could feel the tears welling up in his eyes. He fell to his knees at the sight before him. He finally remembered where he'd heard her name. Why he wanted to tell her everything would be alright. She was his servant in this fifth holy grail war. The one he'd formed a pact with and agreed to work with to win the grail. She was Mordred Pendragon as she so eloquently stated... The one and only true successor to the famed King of knights Arthur Pendragon. The one who called a novice like him... Master.
Now here Shirou was, unable to save her. She stood there blood seeping out of her chest where Arthur Pendragon had run her through. Even though he knew he couldn't change anything here it still felt like a failure in his heart.
"...Was because you do not have the capacity to become King." Arthur finished.
Mordred's helmet shattered to pieces to reveal the face of the girl underneath. Shirou couldn't tell what she felt in those last moments. The only thing he could understand was the final word that left her lips.
"F-F-Fa... ther."
So ends the tale of The Knight of Treachery, so ends the tale of King Arthur, and so ends the story of Camelot. The world around Shirou faded to black... And then the next day came.
A/N: Shirou has finally seen Mordred's past. I thought about writing this as a generic dream, but I changed my mind and made Shirou like a ghost so he could really experience Mordred's memories. Let me know what you guys think about the chapter, I would really like your feedback on it.
Have an awesome day.
