Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate franchise it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon.

Different Fates

Chapter 5

Sakura Tohsaka opened her eyes and sighed. Rider glanced at her from the corner of his eyes. Master and Servant were in an out-of-the-way park, Sakura seated on a bench while Rider stood guard nearby. A bounded field was set over the park to hide them from casual observation. "It seems that things did not go well." Rider observed.

"No." Sakura agreed. "They did not. She was hostile, as she always has been for eight years now, in the rare times we met alone and involving…magical matters."

In truth, this is only the second time we met as magi in ten years. The last one was eight years ago…to say it didn't go well would be an understatement.

"Perhaps if you'd gone in person it might have ended better." Rider replied. "A face-to-face confrontation usually results in a better outcome for a parley."

Sakura chuckled and shook her head. "Her hostility is lethal." She said, but her words and the tone of her voice were a stark contrast to her otherwise cool and elegant demeanour. "She proved it eight years ago. And she proved it again tonight. If I had been there in person, it'd have been a repeat of the past…or started yet another battle."

"What a shame then."

Sakura laughed as she got to her feet. "Yes, I suppose it is." She agreed. "But she has greater firepower than I do. I won't face her in a fair fight if I can help it, much less in her apprentice's territory."

"Oh?" Rider said, turning with a grin. "Are you sure you want to say that to me child? Admitting weakness so readily, and pointing out a stronger Master…have you forgotten who I am?"

"I have not." Sakura replied. "However, I only said she has more firepower than I do. I didn't say she was stronger than me."

She paused and then turning her head met Rider's eyes with her own. They were cold and hard, very determined. "People fear the horde, and understandably so." She said. "But in so doing, they lose sight of the lance until it pierces their heart."

Rider burst out laughing. "Well said…!" he agreed. "Very well…I look forward to seeing how you intend to balance or overcome the enemy's superior firepower."

"And what to do you think the outcome will be, Rider?"

Rider shrugged, and stepped closer to his Master. It was an incongruous sight: a rather tall Asian girl with long dark hair dressed in a typical schoolgirl's uniform under a red cloak, and with a sword clipped to her waist. And towering over her was a giant in ancient Chinese armour, two long red tassels running from his helmet down his back to end at his waist. A gleaming bronze halberd was held relaxed but ready in one hand.

"As I said…" Rider began. "…I look forward to seeing it. But I have expectations from you child, as one who can use, as you Japanese would call it, the shukuchi."

Sakura's eyes went wide, while Rider looked down on her with a mysterious smile and expression on his face. Several moments passed, and then surprisingly Sakura chuckled and shook her head before turning and walking away. "Flattery…" she said. "…I thank you for complimenting my skills but I cannot use the shukuchi."

"You accuse me of being a flatterer, child?" Rider asked, still wearing a mysterious smile and expression.

"If I could use shukuchi..." Sakura replied. "…I could traverse vast distances in an instant. The limit is not known to me, for I cannot use it…yet. One day I might be able to, but not yet. The fastest I can do right now is, well…"

She paused, and a ghostly expression of amusement flickered over her face. "Three steps." She said, and Rider raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

"Three steps from shukuchi…" Sakura replied. "…that's the fastest I can go."

She looked at her Servant over her shoulder, wearing her own smile while meeting his eyes. After a moment Rider laughed and nodded. "How interesting…" he remarked. "…I've never met woman warriors before, so I don't know what to expect. Just don't disappoint me, little lady. You won't like it if you do."

Sakura nodded, and Rider snorted. "So what do you plan to do now?" he asked.

Sakura thought for a moment, and then came to a decision. "I'm going to go see my guardian." She said.

"That blood-stained priest…?" Rider asked. "What for…?"

Sakura didn't reply at once. "I don't know whether or not to let it go." She eventually said. "Matou-senpai's defiance of my authority, that is. I delivered the reprimand, but she treated it as a joke. Well, I did refer to it as going through motions, but still…"

Sakura shook her head. "I'm not good in politics…" she said. "…even as…local as the current situation. Kirei might have good advice to offer."

"And if he does?" Rider challenged. "Will you obey without question?"

"A trick question…" Sakura said while beginning to walk away. "…I'll take his advice, but whether or not I act on them is my decision alone."

Rider snorted with grudging approval. "As you say…" he said, and then vanished into astral form.

Shirou surveyed the destruction at the back of his house with a frown and crossed his arms. To be fair, the house itself was fine. But large parts of the yard had been torn up, even larger patches of grass had been burned to ash, and a good chunk of the back wall had been blown apart.

Sighing, he decided to leave the matter of repairs and such for later. Instead, he turned around and walked back to the table, and sat down opposite the one responsible for it: Rin Matou.

She nibbled on a piece of toast, clearly trying to avoid meeting his eyes. Dinner had been put into containers and put into the refrigerator, both of them understandably having no appetite at present. For a time they sat in silence, and then with another sigh Shirou decided to speak up.

"Sorry…" Rin pre-empted him.

"What?"

"I'm sorry." Rin repeated sulkily but with an underlying hint of regret under the words. "I didn't tell you about the Holy Grail War, or take precautions for your sake, and you almost got killed because of it. And what's more…"

She paused, and Shirou looked troubled as her eyes narrowed slightly and her fingers curled into fists. "What's more…" she said. "…you had to be saved by Tohsaka of all people."

Shirou was silent for a moment. "Why didn't you tell me?" he asked simply.

"I didn't want you getting involved." Rin answered after a moment. She then finally met his eyes, and Shirou was even more troubled at their unexpected vulnerable softness. "In hindsight, that was probably wishful thinking on my part. You're a magus. And more than that, you're my apprentice. Sooner or later, you'd be dragged into this mess."

Hopefully you never become a Master, Shirou.

If you do, then we…I…

Again, silence consumed then, and then to Rin's surprise Shirou reached forward and forcing her hand open, took it and squeezed it reassuringly. "I don't think keeping someone in the dark about something that could affect them is entirely wrong." He said. "After all, if they don't know they can't act on it, so yeah, it probably wouldn't affect them. Though, it's still wrong in a way."

Rin winced, but Shirou squeezed her hand and smiled at her. "But…" he said. "…you said sorry, and that's enough for me. I can see you're sincere too, so that's another point for you."

Rin snorted, but there was no bite in it. "You're an idiot." She said, also without a bite. "You'd trust me after I kept you in the dark?"

Shirou hummed and frowned while crossing his arms, but it was just for show before he beamed at her. "No one's perfect." He eventually said. "And I'd probably have done the same thing as you. And everyone deserves a second chance, or at least I like to think so."

"Humph…" Rin scoffed and looked away. "…idiot."

Shirou shrugged and smiled as though saying 'what can you do'. "Maybe…" he said. "…but I'm your idiot, so what does that say about you?"

Rin scoffed at that but took Shirou's hand again. "Thanks." She said softly, and Shirou nodded his acceptance.

"No problem." He said with a smile. The smile faded as he moved to the next topic though. "With that said, about Tohsaka…"

"How much did she tell you?" Rin bitterly interrupted and squeezing Shirou's hand hard. "How much poison did she pour into your ears?"

"She didn't tell me much really." Shirou said while fighting not to wince. "She did say you hate her, though she didn't say why."

"Is that really all?" Rin growled, and Shirou looked reprovingly at her. She didn't flinch, and he sighed and nodded.

"She also said you broke protocol not telling her about me…" he said. "…though for magi it wasn't particularly unusual, or something to that effect. She also said that you were irresponsible for keeping me in the dark about the Holy Grail War, and seemed…miffed, that you didn't tell me about her being the Supervisor of this Territory."

Rin snorted. "Why am I not surprised?" she spat. "Little Miss Perfect is offended about me infringing on her authority? Talk about the pot calling the kettle black!"

"She has a point though Rin." Shirou said. "It doesn't matter whether you like her or not, she's the Association Supervisor, and thus the ranking magical authority here. You can't just…"

"Defending her now…?" Rin exploded. She let go of Shirou's hand and got to her feet. "Maybe I should just leave, and end our…relationship, so you can go running to sit at that woman's feet!"

"Rin…!" Shirou exploded in his turn, though he didn't get up. "I'm not defending her, I'm just pointing out that she has a point! You can't just go around defying Association authority because you don't like their agent! You've told me time and time again how dangerous the Mages Association can be, and here you are taking risks with them! Rin, I…I just don't want you to get hurt."

Rin sneered and looked away, but she didn't try to leave. Shirou stayed silent, waiting for Rin to calm down and pull her thoughts together. "Can't you just accept that we go back a long way?" she finally said. "And that we've…left our marks on each other?"

Some deeper than others…

Shirou sighed, and crossing his arms lowered his face in thought. Rin stayed standing where she was, and kept her face away from Shirou. The minutes passed slowly, like caramel flowing, and then finally Shirou sighed again. "Hating someone and holding it in isn't healthy." Shirou began, raising a hand to pre-empt Rin's retort. "But…I can see it's nothing…casual. And I want to trust you too."

Shirou stopped talking, looking at Rin and waiting for her to meet his eyes. She did, violet eyes meeting golden ones, and for several moments they just stared into each other. The latter warm yet resolute, and the former hard but hiding traces of…vulnerability? Longing? Hope?

Shirou smiled. "That's why…" he said. "…I'll hope and trust that someday you'll tell me why, and share the burden. Isn't part of an apprentice's job to help his or her master in any way they can?"

Rin scoffed again, though with less bite this time. "You think too much." She said, and then she sighed. "I can't promise when, but…alright. I promise to answer your trust, someday."

"That's all I'm asking." Shirou said, and then scratching at his cheek sighed. "Also…I'd like to ask that you won't pick fights with Tohsaka."

Rin glanced at him. "Afraid that I'll lose?" she asked.

"Yes." Shirou said, but something in his eyes kept Rin from responding at once. "And not because I think you're weaker than her, but that's neither here or there. No, what worries me is that your hate for her would blind you to any tricks she might pull…"

"I know." Rin interrupted. "Don't think I don't know how treacherous she is. I know that better than anyone else."

She fell silent, as did Shirou. Eventually, Rin sighed and nodded before continuing. "I understand your worries." She said. "And don't worry: I don't intend to lose to her."

"Rin…"

Rin glanced at him and sighed. "I won't start fights unless I have to." She said but not meeting Shirou's eyes. "But I'll finish anything that gets started."

Shirou sighed, and scratched his head. "I suppose I'll have to be satisfied with that." He said.

Rin opened her mouth to say something, but a tingling sensation as the bounded field was breached followed by chillingly-intense killing intent killed the words on the tip of her tongue. "What the…?" Shirou said, leaping to his feet.

"This is…" Rin began as a blue-clad figure with a red spear landed on the ground in front of the veranda. Rin's eyes barely had time to widen, and for her to consider using a command spell before a blue blur appeared in front of her, and a backhand to her chin sent her flying. And with that, darkness fell.

"Rin…!" Shirou shouted, and jumped back barely in time to avoid a swing of Lancer's lance that would have gutted him where he stood. Following through, Lancer jabbed forward with Gae Bolg, striking Shirou in the chest with the butt and sending him flying backwards against a wall.

"Don't misunderstand kid." Lancer said, his lance resting casually on a shoulder. "I don't like hitting women. But I can't have her using a command spell to get her Servant here in an instant either."

Lancer grinned at that. "That Tohsaka brat's not too dull." He said. "Most magi these days aren't too subtle, but she used a decoy to get Matou's Archer out of the way of our battle earlier, just in case he might try to butt in. And I can use that, here and now."

"C-c-come to finish the job then…?" Shirou coughed as he shakily got up.

"Damn straight kid." Lancer said, flourishing his lance. "It's nothing personal, but my Master thinks even if you have the right to know, you shouldn't be allowed to hang around when and where you might mess with his plans. Sorry."

Lancer stabbed forward, but Shirou dodged to the side and dove towards Rin. Gae Bolg swung towards him but he was able to avoid it. He grabbed Rin and began to pull her away before Lancer kicked him away from Rin. "Don't get the girl involved." Lancer snapped. "This is between you and me."

"Just so you can finish her off once you're done with me?" Shirou snarled as he fumbled around for a weapon while backing on the floor to the corner. "Screw you!"

Lancer laughed. "Spirited, aren't you?" he asked. "Don't worry my Master also told me to keep her alive. That damn bastard apparently has plans for her."

"What?"

Lancer whistled and pressed the attack, but Shirou again managed to avoid getting skewered, diving and rolling to the side. "Trace on!" he said, projecting and reinforcing a steel bat.

Rolling up onto his feet, he parried several stabbing attacks made by Lancer, who forced him around until his back was to the veranda. And then the Servant feinted, and then kicked Shirou hard out onto the grounds beyond.

Again flourishing his lance, Lancer stepped out, and narrowed his eyes as he spotted Shirou coughing up blood before getting up to his feet again. Lancer sighed. "Archer's probably getting very close now." He said. "I need to finish this quick kid, so won't you just stop? You've got no chance in the first place."

"Shut up!" Shirou said, brandishing the bat. Lancer sighed with disappointment.

"I really hate it when I have to kill interesting people like you." Lancer said. "Damn that bastard for telling me to do this."

Lancer leaped forward, and Shirou's eyes widened at the onslaught that followed. Stabs and swings came at him from multiple directions and at speeds barely visible to the naked eye. Even reinforcement could only do so much, and Shirou felt his body wear and tear trying to keep up and hold.

Worse, his makeshift weapon wasn't doing too well either, the projected bat cracking and bending with every blow. Finally, Lancer forced Shirou's guard open, and then throwing him off balance with the follow-up, sent him flying across the grounds with a kick.

Flourishing his lance, Lancer drew back and threw, planning to skewer the boy's heart straight through. Shirou was able to get up time to avoid getting skewered, but his back was now against his workshop door. And before he could recover Lancer was there, and kicked him through the door and into the room beyond.

Coughing again, Shirou struggled to all fours, not noticing a trio of symbols appearing on his right hand while a summoning circle began to glow. Lancer noticed the latter and glanced down at Shirou as he – Lancer – entered the room. "Well isn't this a surprise?" he asked.

"W-w-what…?" Shirou asked.

"You're the last Master." Lancer replied. "Really now…so the girl's family plans to cheat the contest by having two Master-Servant pairs?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Shirou spat, rolling around to face Lancer.

"Sure you don't." Lancer snorted while flourishing his lance. "Still, I really wish you weren't too interesting. It would have made this easier for me. I'll make it quick at least."

Lancer stabbed down hard, but again Shirou was able avoid by leaping up and back, and then parry a couple of follow-up attacks. A fourth blow shattered his weapon and he staggered back as glittering prana briefly hung in the air between him and Lancer.

"Well, I guess so much for that." Lancer said with his facial expression eager yet slightly disappointed. He aimed his lance for Shirou's heart. "Any last words, kid?"

Shirou grit his teeth and clenched his fists as he stared down the enemy in front of him. On his hand, his unnoticed command spells flickered in sympathy with the summoning circle behind him.

"Die…?" he thought. "I'm going to die here? Screw that! I can't die here! If I die here, then, what happens to Rin? Dad…what happens to his dream? I promised him I'd make his dream come true. I can't die here! I can't leave Rin all alone, or break my promise to dad. I just can't. I CAN'T DIE HERE!"

At the thought, the command spells flared bright and hot, as did the summoning circle behind Shirou. Lancer and Shirou alike shielded their eyes from the light flooding into and out of the workshop, both turning toward the summoning circle to see prana coalescing into a petite, armoured form in the middle.

There was a powerful burst of wind, and with a surprised shout Lancer was blown out of the workshop by a blur of blue and silver. Shirou was knocked aside, shielding his face with his arms as he fell on his rear.

As the light faded, he lowered his arms, and he blinked at the sight that met his eyes. Standing in front of him was a girl seemingly around his age, shorter than Shirou with a strikingly-beautiful face, blonde hair tied back in an elaborately-braided bun at the back of her head. Her eyes were green, bright and hard but neither unfriendly nor judging, instead looking down at him with cool appraisal. She wore a dress in blue, runes also engraved in blue on the gleaming metal of her breastplate, her arms and hands also protected by gleaming plates of metal.

But that wasn't what struck Shirou the most.

That she was beautiful there could be no doubt.

But what struck Shirou the most was her bearing. Hers wasn't the volatile yet vulnerable character of Rin. Hers wasn't the brash friendship of Ayako. And neither was hers the deceptive…elegance, of Sakura Tohsaka.

No, Shirou knew despite never having met anyone like her before, that the only word that could describe her bearing was 'regal'. Here was someone used to command and being obeyed without question, and yet despite a part of him instinctively distrusting such an absolute existence, he knew that this girl was one who would never abuse her authority, and would only ever use it as it should be used.

How? How did I know that?

"Servant Saber…" the girl said. "…here I stand by your summons. Answer me: are you my Master?"

"Master…?" Shirou echoed, and then blinking glanced down at the command spells on his hand. They were different to the ones Sakura possessed, multiple jagged lines to her concentric circles, but he could sense the similar if not identical concepts behind the mysteries embodied in the image. "H-how…?"

Saber made to speak, but then glancing at the door rushed outside. "Hey wait…!" Shirou shouted after her, and then scrambling to his feet rushed after her.

The two Servants rushed at each other in what would look like blurs to the Human eye, Lancer roaring out a battle cry as he stabbed his lance at Saber. Saber parried it to the side, along with the next two blows. The fourth she riposted, a massive burst of wind accompanying her invisible blade's swing and blowing Lancer back a good distance.

"Coward…!" he shouted, referring to how she hid her sword. She didn't bother to reply, Lancer looking very surprised that she'd ignore him so brazenly like that.

Her sword rippling white with prana and the wind, she delivered a powerful, two-handed blow that tore up the surrounding ground and sent Lancer flying back all the way to the wall on the opposite side of the property. "What's wrong Lancer?" Saber taunted. "Is this the best you can do? If so, then your class weeps for you."

"One question…" Lancer growled as he stepped forward. He wiped at his mouth before stepping into his stance. "…your Noble Phantasm: is it really a sword?"

Saber smiled at him. "Who knows?" she asked back. "It could be a sword. But it could also be a spear, or even an axe, or perhaps even a bow."

Lancer chuckled before his expression turned ugly. "Don't get too arrogant, Saber." He spat, and made to leap into the offensive. Saber settled into a defensive stance, but suddenly Lancer froze. Saber blinked at the sight, and then settled further into her stance as Lancer's demeanour changed from ugly to murderous.

"That bastard…" he snarled in a voice that was calm and yet terrifying for it. "…this is the second time tonight he's butted into my fights."

Saber narrowed her eyes, Lancer's lance glowing red as streams of prana began to wrap around it. "Let's see how lucky you are Saber." He snarled as he tensed. "I'd really like to fight you properly another time. And if you die, well that boy dies with you."

Saber didn't think. Apart from the fact that Lancer had threatened her Master, it was obvious he was going to invoke his Noble Phantasm even though the war had only just begun. Though, apparently it was only because his Master had told him so, if his words were any indication.

It didn't matter. She charged forward, her sword swinging hard and fast at Lancer. It didn't connect. The other Servant sidestepped and then jumped up and past her, twisting in mid-air to throw his lance at her. "GAE BOLG!" Lancer roared.

Saber dodged back, the lance striking the ground where she stood. And then her eyes widened as the lance bent, and then struck up at her and piercing through her shoulder.

Saber loudly cried out in pain and surprise, flying back and tumbling a few times before rolling to a crouch, her sword held guardedly in front of her. A gauntleted hand went over the jagged hole in her armour and the deep wound beneath.

Lancer whistled, relaxing ever so slightly and placing his lance behind his shoulders. "Lucky…" he said. "…if you weren't, this would have cut out your heart."

Saber grit her teeth. "Are you mocking me Lancer?" she snarled, and the other Servant scoffed.

"Hardly…" he said, turning to leave. "…if I had my way, I'd fight you to the death here and now, whether or not my Noble Phantasm had been used. But, my Master's a scheming son of a bitch. He said to use my Noble Phantasm on you, and to finish the job if it worked. But if not, then retreat, seeing as I'd have exposed who I really was."

"So you're just going to leave?" Saber shouted, staggering to her feet.

"Then by all means follow!" Lancer shouted back over a shoulder. "Just be prepared to die if you do! But I'd prefer if you don't though."

"What?"

Lancer grinned wolfishly at her. "You're handicapped right now." He said. "Patch yourself up in the meantime. I prefer going toe-to-toe anyway."

Saber narrowed her eyes at Lancer who chuckled before leaping off into the night. Saber looked after him until he vanished from her sight. Sighing, she sealed her wound before turning to go to her Master, who'd apparently rushed into the house during the fighting.

She'd barely taken a step when she felt another Servant approaching, from a different direction Lancer had come from. She glanced in that direction, and then towards the house. Making her decision, she rushed to intercept.

One after another…!

A/N

Yes, shukuchi is a deliberate reference to Rurouni Kenshin. No, it's not an innate ability for her. It's acquired, and honed by training. How she acquired it will be revealed, but it is a canon means of getting supernatural abilities while staying Human. A Type-Moon protagonist (no, it's not Shirou) gained his powers in a similar way, in fact. Sakura just got a different ability, more in line with her family's affinity for the Second Magic, though it requires training to fully realize.

Next, I apologize for this chapter. It's rather unimaginative, no? Typical Lancer attacks, Shirou summons Saber, etc. I promise more originality in the following chapters, though I hope the Rin and Shirou fluff makes for it ever so slightly.

Guest: isolated? She's Student Council Vice-Chairwoman, and she was voted into the spot. I don't exactly think 'isolated' is a word that fits into the…publicly-attractive character needed to get where she is. And no, she didn't see the high jump.