Karna looked around the Waver household curiously, drifting from room to room and occasionally reaching out to touch things.
Karna knew words and knew what things were for, after a fashion. But it was hard to focus the knowledge in his mind. He'd never actually seen a TV, let alone a DVR. What did they do exactly? Karna looked at the dead box and considered trying to turn it on, but then he passed it by. Maybe Shirou could show him later.
Wandering to the kitchen, Karna saw something almost unbearably tempting on the counter. It was a pie! Such things had not existed in his childhood – sugar was incredibly expensive and reserved for the rich – but the scent wafting from it was making his mouth water. Yet, it wasn't his and he wasn't really hungry. Karna forced himself to turn aside and quickly left the kitchen behind, hardly looking at it. He needed to leave the pie alone.
Then he almost ran into the dark Archer.
"…?" Karna looked up, wondering why the Archer seemed so strangely familiar. It was like something was right on the edge of his tongue, a name he knew too well. But whenever Karna tried to focus on it, it slipped away. Vaguely, Karna wondered if the Archer felt the same way. Right now, though, the Archer was looking at him with a determined air and carrying a rag?
"Child," he said before kneeling down and Karna blinked as the rag – it was damp – began cleaning his face? "You are so dirty. Do you not care?"
"Um…" Well, honestly, no. "That's how I manifest. It comes back," Karna said after a moment, knowing it was true. He was a dirty little kid so he manifested as dirty.
"Then we will wipe it off every day," Archer said firmly and Karna blinked. That was strange, why did he care? "Now come, we will wash your feet." Karna glanced down at his feet, surprised. They were dirty but he walked in the dirt, how could they not be?
"They really will get dirty again. I don't have any shoes," Karna protested as Archer took his arm and pulled him along.
"Then we shall buy you some." …Well… okay? Karna wondered what it would be like to wear shoes. He'd never had any in his life. "And clothing." Karna wondered what the point of that was. Sure, he looked scruffy and out of place in his vest and pants, but modern clothing wouldn't help too much. He was always going to be easy to spot.
It was easier just to go along with it though and Archer had him sit on the edge of the tub as he washed his feet. They were just finishing when Shirou popped into the bathroom.
"Rider, Archer, we have tea and cookies!" Shirou announced and Karna liked the thought of tea. He wasn't sure about cookies though. That was another thing he'd never had. Although.
"Can we have pie?" Karna said hopefully. He loved the way it smelled, it had to taste amazing! Shirou made a sad face.
"No, that's for supper tomorrow. But Waver is going to introduce us to Nana and we can have some with them!" Shirou's smile was so happy and it made Karna glad they'd come. Karna hopped off the tub and would have walked right out but Archer wanted to dry him off. Karna put up with it as Shirou watched and giggled at the sight.
Archer was one of those difficult adults who thought they knew best, but Karna would tolerate him for Shirou's sake.
A few days later.
"I can't believe this!"
"What?" Arjuna asked, aware he sounded grumpy. But things were not going as he'd hoped. Karna was willing to wear his sandals, although his feet did quickly become dirty again. He was willing to wash in a futile attempt to remove the dirt. But Karna was completely unwilling to wear anything too tight to the skin and while he'd pretended to accept the room he was given, he actually slept on the porch. And Karna was starting to avoid him. Arjuna didn't know what to do about that.
"This kid, Shirou, has twenty-seven Mage Circuits!" What? Arjuna's attention snapped to Waver and he saw that his Master was very excited and pleased. "They're all good quality too. He's a little magus in the making!" Well, that was… good, in a sense. But if Karna became too powerful it was actually possible Arjuna would have to fight him again. "He's still getting the hang of activating them but his connection to his Servant is strong. When he has a grip on it, Rider is going to be pretty nasty!" That was what he was afraid of. "And it gets better. I tried to scry for his Origin and Element, although I knew the Origin would only work if it was already active, and it IS!" That was unusual. "Arjuna, his Elements are fire and earth. His Origin is Creation!" Arjuna blinked.
"You have just described a smith," he observed. Creation, fire and earth. Waver nodded enthusiastically.
"Mystic code crafting, he'll be a natural at it. And it's perfect, it's something that's highly respected and can't be inscribed into a Mage Crest. Ideal for a first generation magus." …Hm…
"Are you certain he is truly first generation? The practice magi have of training only the eldest, to prevent disputes over the Mage Crest, could mean that he descends from magi in some part," Arjuna said and Waver reached up to rub his hair.
"First generation just means no Mage Crest, actually. Even a powerful family can be brought to that state if they lose theirs, and then it's an insult. But you might have a point about his lineage. If I have a chance after this is over I'll check his ancestry. I'll have to adopt him and bring him to the Clock Tower. It'll be rough, I don't have much money but I'll make it work," Waver said decisively and Arjuna nodded, although he felt a qualm. That plan depended on everyone surviving the Grail War which was not, alas, that likely. "I've been noticing though… are you okay?" Waver suddenly looked at him and Arjuna was taken aback but the concern in his face. "You've been feeling strange since we took your brother in." …
"I… had hoped to… but it is not…" Arjuna started before stopping. This was difficult to articulate. "It is not as I had hoped," he finally said. Arjuna wanted to be an older brother to Karna, wanted to make things better for him, but the little child just seemed to regard him with resignation. Like an unwanted pest that he was humoring for the sake of peace. Waver frowned thoughtfully.
"Arjuna, can I be blunt?" Waver said carefully and Arjuna nodded. Truthfully, he wanted some guidance. "You're trying to force him into a mold of what you expect from a kid and that's not going to work. You need to get to know him, find out what he likes. It probably won't be anything a normal kid likes, but that has to be okay. You can't change him." You can't change him. That resonated with Arjuna because it was indeed what he'd been trying to do and it was not working. "Why don't you go fishing with him?"
"Fishing?" Arjuna asked, startled. Waver gave him an amused and slightly sad smile.
"Yes, I was talking to Shirou and he said Karna loves to fish." …Shirou could be an excellent source of information. Arjuna hadn't thought of that.
"I will attempt it. Thank you Waver," Arjuna said, and meant it. His Master was very helpful. Armed with the new knowledge, Arjuna went to find Karna.
It was difficult to track him down but he finally found Karna on the roof. He was spread out on the tiles, his eyes closed as he soaked in the sun. Arjuna just paused for a moment, noticing how peaceful his brother looked. The smile on his young face was particularly beautiful. He almost hated to interrupt but…
"Karna?" Arjuna said and saw aquamarine eyes open. He felt a pain in his heart as a brief flash of resignation passed over Karna's face before he sat up and looked at him with calm eyes.
"Archer? Can I help you?" Karna said politely and Arjuna shook his head, before taking a seat on the roof beside him.
"I just wanted to talk," Arjuna said and saw surprise flit through Karna's eyes. Ah, he hadn't done much talking with the child, had he? "It's a beautiful day, is it not?" There was hardly a cloud in the sky. A small smile graced Karna's face.
"It's marvelous. I love days like today, when the sun is so hot," Karna said, stretching out a little as he gazed into the sky. "The sun is special to me," he said and Arjuna suddenly wondered. Surely he knew?
"The sun is your father," Arjuna said simply and Karna's eyes widened.
"I… how'd you… I don't tell anyone that!" Karna said, shocked. Arjuna wasn't surprised.
"I know who you are. Eventually, you will grow into your legacy," Arjuna said easily and Karna was looking at him with bright eyes, like a child who had been given a sweet.
"I'll be a great charioteer? For a prince?" Karna said excitedly and Arjuna suddenly felt like there was something sticky in his throat. Guilt assaulted him but Arjuna controlled it well enough to give Karna a gentle smile.
"You will be more. Someday, you will be a great hero and a king yourself," Arjuna said gently and the little boy looked bewildered.
"But how? I'm the wrong caste," Karna said innocently and Arjuna felt even worse although he concealed it well. Vaguely, he was glad young Karna did not have Discernment of the Poor. He could not have coped with that at this moment.
"You will overcome that." And I will not help you in any way. Arjuna truly felt awful, remembering the brash young Karna who had challenged him at the archery competition. If only he had responded in a different manner, it might all have been different. Then a little hand was touching his and Arjuna blinked, looking into worried aquamarine eyes.
"Archer? Are you okay?" Karna's voice was soft and worried and Arjuna steadied himself.
"I am fine," Arjuna said, composing himself. Karna's eyes took on a familiar, penetrating quality. The same gaze he'd always hated in the adult Karna, the look that seemed to see into his soul.
"Don't worry about the past, it's over and done with. We can only go forward," Karna said, sounding oddly adult. Arjuna wanted to protest. All we have is the past. They were dead after all. But Karna gently squeezed his hand and Arjuna noticed he was very warm. Then his brother gave him a small smile. "So that's okay."
"Mmm, is it?" Arjuna murmured but he knew the answer. It had to be. "You know, I have rarely fished," Arjuna said, changing the subject. "Shirou said you are very good at that. Could you show me?" he asked and Karna's eyes brightened.
"Sure!" Letting go of his hand, the little boy jumped up. As he did, Arjuna noticed again that so much of the Karna he knew was missing. The golden armor was just lines and the sun earring was missing entirely. When would Karna acquire it? "Come on, let's go!" The child jumped easily off the roof and Arjuna followed, landing easily beside him. Although.
"Do we not need a pole and hooks?" Arjuna asked and Karna turned, giving him a smile. It lightened his aquamarine eyes and made him look very happy indeed.
"My pole is hidden in the bushes at the park, we can find it. I have hooks there too, I made them. I'll have to make you a pole but that's alright, it won't take long at all," Karna said happily and Arjuna wondered where he'd learned that. Well, he could ask later.
It took them no time at all to reach the park, as a pair of Servants. Arjuna communicated where they were to Waver, who cheerfully wished them a good time. Confident their Masters would let them know if there was a problem, Arjuna watched as Karna rooted through some bushes and came out with a simple fishing pole. The line he was using had been teased from clothing and was bright red. The little hooks he had were – what?
"How did you make these?" Arjuna asked as he examined them, fascinated. They were made of metal and very bright, yet crudely hammered out. Karna answered as he searched around for a good piece of wood for a second pole.
"People throw away amazing thing here. Shirou said it was a pop can? It was perfect! I tore it up and made hooks," Karna said and Arjuna nodded. That explained the shiny appearance. "Back home I would have made hooks from rocks but that would take way longer and not be as good."
"Rocks?" Arjuna asked, startled. He'd never seen fishhooks like that, he'd always been able to use ones made of metal. "Where did you learn that?" Karna was working on the pole now, cleaning off the bark and bending the wood. Arjuna was fascinated by how skillful his hands were.
"An old beggar taught me. It was so nice of him. I helped him with his begging for a while, before he got sick and died," Karna said absently and Arjuna swallowed. "He was nice, I missed him, but he was really old so that was alright."
"I see," Arjuna wondered how many people Karna had lost in his short life. It made him feel queasy. "Do you know how to make nets?" That was the way he'd normally fished, when he was travelling. Arjuna felt that if you knew the technique it was much faster than a line. Karna looked up, interested.
"No, do you?" Karna looked so hopeful but Arjuna had to shake his head. He hadn't made his own nets, there had been no need. However.
"I can buy one and we can practice with it, later. Catching fish in nets requires technique," he offered and Karna smiled at him.
"That sounds like fun! Okay, the pole is ready," Karna said before passing it over and Arjuna noticed he'd made it with his height in mind. It was much longer than the pole Karna used. Smiling, he settled in by the bank of the river and let the hook dangle into the water.
This was the slow kind of fishing, which required very little skill. Karna had hooked little rocks to the lines and they acted as sinkers, letting the hooks go deeply enough to catch the catfish the river was full of. It still required great patience and Arjuna lay back, his pole caught between his knees as he enjoyed the warm sun. It did make him wish for a beer. This kind of fishing cried out for alcohol. Perhaps he'd see later if they could get some.
"Mmm… Karna, what is it like being a puta-sutra?" Arjuna asked, just trying to make conversation. And he honestly knew very little about the charioteer caste, aside from their duties. How had Karna lived?
"It's great! There's lots of food and I don't have to fight too much for it," Karna said happily and Arjuna blinked. Fight too much? "I love the horses, they're wonderful. They love me too. Aruna is my favorite." Did Karna know the name of his pony was also the name of the horse that drove Surya's vimana? Arjuna was sure it wasn't a coincidence. Still…
"What do you mean, fight too much?" Arjuna asked, needing to know, although it was slightly masochistic. Karna turned his head to smile at him.
"Oh, you know, you have to fight with the other kids to get your food." He'd never had to do that once in his life, unless you counted sweets. Arjuna really didn't think that counted. "But it was great because after the food was all gotten, mama would go around with an extra pot and if anyone didn't have enough or didn't have any, she'd make sure they got some. So no one ever went hungry." Karna looked at his fishing line, his tone becoming sober. "In a lot of the… um, I think the word we use now is orphanage… adults wouldn't do that. If you couldn't fight for the food you went hungry and the littlest kids usually died." …
"I see," Arjuna said, feeling a little faint. Despite the darkness he'd seen, the wars he'd experienced, it was still shocking to hear Karna so calmly talk about starvation and death. "Your parents ran an orphanage?" Karna frowned and tapped his pole.
"Kind of… we didn't think of it that way. Papa was retired and he trained the new charioteers but there were never enough kids so they took in stray boys like me," Karna said, gazing at his fishing pole. "We were a great big pack of boys, he trained us along with the older boys. The ones who were no good with the horses had to go be dung sweepers and stuff." The untouchable caste, ah. "But if we were good we'd officially be puta-sutras. I'm special though! Just two years ago, papa really adopted me!" Karna looked at him, eyes bright and smile very happy. "So I really have a mama and papa now."
"I'm happy for you," Arjuna said, and meant it. Karna reminded him of a stray puppy who had found a home. Not the best home, perhaps, but one that seemed to suit him well. "Do you have siblings?" Arjuna asked and wished he hadn't as Karna suddenly looked down, a bit of sadness crossing his face.
"No, not really… mama and papa have other kids but they're mostly older and I've hardly met them. The only one I know is Vrinda and he doesn't like me," Karna said unhappily and Arjuna swallowed. "Papa says he's just jealous because I'm better with the horses than he is but…. He really, really doesn't like me." Arjuna frowned, suddenly getting the feeling Karna was hiding something.
"What did he do to make you say that?" Arjuna asked and Karna just ignored the question, looking into the water. "Karna," he said firmly and little shoulders hunched for a moment before Karna answered.
"He played a joke on me once but it wasn't really a joke," Karna said so quietly, Arjuna had to struggle to hear him. "I mean, he said it was a joke but I know he wanted to hurt me. I'm fine though, so it's okay," Karna said more strongly before looking up. "Mama hit him really hard and told him if he ever did something like that again, they'd disown him. He hasn't played any jokes on me since. So it's okay!" Arjuna grimly reflected it wasn't okay and if this young man wasn't long dead, he might be obliged to kill him. Vaguely, he thought about telling Karna they were brothers but… it was too soon. He wanted Karna to trust him more first. "Arjuna, you have a fish!" Startled, he looked at his line and saw it bobbing in the water.
"Ah, one moment," Arjuna said before standing and smoothly reeling the fish in. It was a very small one and he carefully freed it before tossing it back.
"You put it back because it's too little?" Karna asked and Arjuna nodded. "I hardly ever did that because I was hungry. Now I guess I can, that's kind of nice," he said and Arjuna took a seat again. Ah, he did need a beer. Hmm.
Master, when you need a break could you perhaps bring Shirou to the park? And some beer? In his day and age it would have been called sura but it was all the same thing.
Sure, that would be great! He's starting to get tired, Waver replied and Arjuna nodded to himself. Shirou wouldn't be able to practice too much before tiring. It was just the way of things. I'll bring some orange crush too, Shirou says Karna loves it. Orange crush? Where had he gotten hold of that?
Thank you, I would appreciate it, Arjuna replied, finding that he was appreciating his Master more and more. His advice about Karna had been spot on and he was handling Shirou very well. Arjuna thought that Waver would make an excellent teacher someday. Smiling, he lay back to enjoy the sun.
It was strange to think, but Arjuna was enjoying spending time with his brother.
