I feel so bad for taking so long...I didn't get a single review after last chapter, but I still feel bad. Honestly, what happened was I was trying to come up with a way to continue the story without bringing in spoilers from Fate Zero, then I went camping, then I was trying to come up with a way to not have what happened in the middle of this chapter, and finally I was trying to come up with a different back story for Assassin since I realized if I shared what I had originally come up with it would probably piss people off.
Basically, all of Assassin's Rebirth in this chapter I knew there would be complaints about and tried to find something else but nothing worked as well as what I've got right now. If I had just done as I originally planned, this would've been out a long time ago...probably in about the same form too.
I had to go and create versions of the stories in this that were separate so I could read through them without getting them mixed up and I almost did it again anyways XP
As I said, there are SPOILERS for Fate Zero in this chapter, I tried to make it so you could imagine the situation without having seen it but you will definitely learn a bit that you might not want to if you avoid spoilers...since Fate Zero is on netflix, I don't feel quite as bad about it as I would have otherwise.
As for the Torment side of things, I am bringing in a dress that is only really seen in the Unlimited Blade Works movie but you can basically figure out from reading the same part of Fate/Stay Night. Also, I am trying to bring in things that you will recognize as leading into Rebirth, so that's fun.
I have a friend who is gonna try and draw some things in this story, explaining my imagination is a bit awkward at times though XP I'm sure you've noticed.
I know the first part is gonna piss some people off, it is only for the story and following the idea so it can fit with the rest of the history in this world. I'm sorry if it offends you.
Torment of Rebirth
Chapter 9
Dangerous Alliances
Assassin's Rebirth
Sakura's Perspective
Long ago there were many who could be called god. There were the Olympians, a group who stayed together and waged war on eachother through the humans. There were 'gods' that were created within the human mind and actions, many of which ended up causing pain for humans. There were gods that remained unknown, and there were gods that banded together to create various religions.
There was one god, however, who insisted he was better than the others. He insisted he was the only true god. He abandoned his name and insisted he was God, the one, the only. All others were false gods in his eyes. God disliked the humans as they were growing and so he took all the fruit-bearing plants and created a garden in the land called Eden. Within this Garden he created a man, not a human, but a man. Humans were creatures who disobeyed; humans would destroy this world, so God created a Man to live in the Garden of Eden.
God took creatures from the world around him and gave them to the man to name. A snake was given the name of Serpent, a donkey was given the name of Ass, a gazelle was given the name of Antelope. Many creatures were renamed in God's attempt to remake his own private world.
God's greatest treasure in the Garden was what he called the Tree of Knowledge. As long as the Tree was in the Garden, it took knowledge from any fruit created within it. Those who ate from the Garden without eating from the Tree would be unable to realize the world around them. This would allow the man to live in the way God desired. When God brought in a Woman, the serpent ate from the tree and realized exactly what was going on.
The serpent also realized that because of the nature of the tree to take from the garden, the serpent could use it to take from God's chosen. And so, when woman was allowed into the garden and blessed by the holy light of God, the serpent chose her target.
The serpent tricked the woman into eating the fruit from the tree and giving some to man. Man and woman became Adam and Eve, God 'cursed' them with truths that were fact for all humans and 'cursed' the serpent back into the snake she had once been, dooming her to forever crawl the ground. But the snake had stolen the holy power within man and woman with the help of the Tree of Knowledge, and had eaten of the Tree of Life. The snake would not age, but she could be killed by human hands.
As the snake wandered, she became hungry. An enticing scent called to her far across the land and she followed it to a single root. With this root, she was refreshed. A demi-god laughed as she left, not knowing that the mix of the root with the tree of life would prevent her from having her final rest.
Sakura awoke with a start, not knowing how she had fallen asleep in the first place. All she knew was that her command seal was burning with a dark energy and a light from her heart was trying to push it back.
Archer's Torment
Caster's Perspective
The King of Uruk stared at her present, wrapped in white silk with a blue bow Saber represented everything that Gilgamesh wanted to taint within the woman. She still didn't know Saber's identity, but she did know she had spotted the King of Heroes spying on the knight greedily on multiple occasions, yet there had always been a slight hesitation, as if he were unsure Saber was really the version of the knight he wanted.
Now, with the swordswoman in what could only be described as a wedding dress and having Gilgamesh's red blood glowing in symbols along her body, holding her against the wall with her wrists secured above her head and a collar holding her neck in place, the look of loathing she fixed on the golden Servant could only mean she recognized him as well. She was obviously exactly who Gilgamesh had been looking for.
"Why do I feel this is less compensation and more an attempt at bribery?" Caster felt her smirk fading, "You used an underling of yours, I can accept that as partial compensation, but to gain a King's forgiveness costs more than a single disposable life." Red eyes turned to Caster, "This Noble Phantasm of yours. If you want me to aid you, you will give me that so none can use it against me. With me by your side, you should have no need of it." Caster stared at Gilgamesh, wide-eyed. He wanted her Rule Breaker. Her trump card. True, with Gilgamesh's help she could beat any who opposed her, especially with Saber by her side as well. She had no shortage of mana so this deal would bring the victor of the grail, "Know that the only reason I will accept this in the first place is because I am aware that you are capable of drawing out the full grail without removing all Servants and you can keep the grail here indefinitely." He was right. With Gilgamesh and Saber to provide defense, Caster would have plenty of time to set up the perfect grail that would never fade. Her wishes could be granted for eternity. As Gilgamesh looked at her for a response, Caster found she only had one.
Medea pulled out her dagger, the dagger she used to kill her brother for a man she loved without knowing, the dagger that had personified her status as a witch; and handed it to Gilgamesh without a word. The Golden King smirked and turned to Saber, obviously looking forward to bending the knight to his will.
"Get to work, if any arrive to interrupt you, I shall deal with them." Caster nodded and left, knowing that being ordered around by this man was now her fate. But it was a fate she chose on her own, that was more than she could say about anything that happened within her life.
Assassin's Rebirth
Lancer's Perspective
The giant in front of him swung the stone blade he held and Lancer jumped back with a grin. His feet had barely even touched the ground before the blue Servant had shot forward, trying to hit the giant's face with his spear.
Berserker roared so loud it sent out a shockwave that offset Lancer's trajectory and used his hand that wasn't holding anything to bat aside the smaller Servant. Lancer flipped around in mid-air with a grin and his feet hit the tree, knees already bent to launch the Hound of Culann the moment he hit. The tree trunk was snapped and fell towards the fight but Lancer was far faster than the falling branches and was already stabbing his spear at Heracles from above by the time the crash of the tree hitting the ground was heard.
Gae Bolg didn't even scratch the giant. Lancer landed in a crouch, his hand and feet dragging along the ground as he slid to a stop.
"Do you really think an attack that weak could hurt my Berserker?" Ilya laughed as Lancer suddenly froze.
Red eyes widened as Lancer felt his Master perish.
"Kotomine." The man's name slipped past his lips before Lancer even realized it. How had he not sensed that priest being in danger? Why wasn't he called for?
"Oh, how sad. It seems you lost your Master." And somehow, the little girl knew exactly what had happened.
That was when they felt the explosion of evil energy.
"Really?" The white girl growled, "Who is messing with my grail?" Her eyes snapped to Lancer, "Believe me, I really don't want to do this, but I think I know who that is and she is a threat to Berserker. You lost your Master and I can handle both of you." Lancer thought only for a moment. Someone who could cause problems for that monster and a Master who wouldn't hold him back. What else could he ask for?
Archer's Torment
Archer's Perspective
Sakura was having no luck controlling her reflexes as a grail. The girl may have lived with the grail within her for her whole life but she was never the one who kept it in check, that had always been Zouken. Now, however, Zouken was gone. Archer had personally destroyed the worm within Sakura's heart, the worm he had been told held Zouken's soul. In all his time researching Zouken and how to extract both that monster and Angra Mainyu from Sakura, he had never thought to research this. Now, with Angra Mainyu's consciousness back in Sakura, she definitely needed to control her powers, preferably before she fell asleep.
"I can't do this." Sakura muttered to herself, Archer frowned.
"Yes, you can. I've seen you do it, I've seen it happen even when they had full control of you, you still fought it." It was fact for him, but not for the young magus. Archer frowned as a memory came to mind, one from long ago, right after his war.
They had wanted Rider to be able to function in society but with a blindfold she could not so mystic eye killing glasses had been necessary. The workshop they had eventually found that could create such an object had been filled with many items that had unique abilities as well. While Sakura and Rider had been making the order, Archer had studied the objects in an attempt to be able to trace something other than just swords. One of those objects had been a pair of gloves. Simple black cloth gloves that would reach the elbow and held the ability to contain magic.
Of course, that was the simple explanation. The long one was more along the lines of them storing mana that the wearer used and gradually returning it back to the wearer while also keeping a record of the progress of lost mana within the wearer and reflecting the results in how it managed the mana it absorbed. Eventually the gloves would be unnecessary; they would naturally bring back how effective they were based on her progress so that she could control herself without them.
The problem, however, lay in creating this mystic code in a way that would last more than a few hours regularly and a few moments for Sakura.
"This isn't a permanent solution." Archer said, holding out his hands, "However, I want to see if this will even work before I try something of the same type only more lasting." If he was making something other than a sword though, he would have to do it right.
JUDGING THE CONCEPT OF CREATION
HYPOTHESIZING THE BASIC STRUCTURE
DUPLICATING THE COMPOSITION MATERIAL
IMITATING THE SKILL OF ITS MAKING
SYMPATHIZING WITH THE EXPERIENCE OF ITS GROWTH
REPRODUCING THE ACCUMULATED YEARS
EXCELLING EVERY MANUFACTURING PROCESS
What appeared in his hands was far from perfect, but it held the ability he wanted to test.
He held the gloves out to Sakura and she hesitantly put them on. Obviously she couldn't tell if there was any result. Archer held out his hands and once again she gently laid hers on top.
Then her eyes widened. Archer smiled; it was only a temporary solution, it wouldn't help with the consciousness within her, but she could at least hold back her powers if she managed to get a real pair.
At that moment, the gloves shattered and Sakura pulled back her hands instantly.
"For the moment, I will try to place the effects into a real pair of gloves but the code won't last long. Tomorrow I will give you the information on the magus who made the original pair so you can contact him. He does special orders as well so if you come up with anything you think you may need, contact him." The man could even make efficient armor. Archer would know, after all, that's where he got his armor. It was still a few years before the material would be fully developed, but there was nothing wrong with putting her in contact with the magus early.
Neither of them noticed the pair of eyes watching as they continued to work.
Assassin's Rebirth
Saber's Perspective
Strips of mana chased after Saber and she dodged each one. She didn't know what effect the attack had, what she did know was that she had purged this taint from Assassin once and that was exactly what the command seal used on both her and Archer demanded was done. So Saber would get close and pour as much holy energy as she could into the Servant. The way they were set up now was most advantageous to them. With Saber fighting Assassin she could purge the Servant and with Archer fighting Shirou, the older version of her former Master was far more practiced at the magic they wielded and any weapons Shirou happened to have that Archer didn't could quickly be copied.
Saber didn't like fighting against Shirou like this, but she had to help him. Maybe after Assassin was purged she could do the same for Shirou.
Saber flipped over one last attack to come face to face with Assassin and her hand shot forward to the Servant's bloody neck. With an open wound, there would be more direct contact.
The moment she touched the Servant, Saber's gauntlet vanished and Assassin's neck colored.
Then the black Servant screamed and shot pure mana out from her body, sending Saber back a few meters. Purple eyes glared at Saber and a pale hand shot out to the side. All of the cloth-like strips of mana gathered in one spot and hauntingly familiar words rang out.
"You inhuman monsters who have ruined the honor of a knight, let my blood taint your dreams!" Saber's eyes widened and she froze as the cloth wrapped around a figure hunched over with slightly bent knees, "May the Grail be cursed! May the wish it grants bring disaster!" Slowly, the strips of fabric were pulled away one by one, allowing the betrayed knight to finish his last words before he faded away in the previous war, "And when you fall into the pits of hell," His form was nearly completely revealed. Dark teal body armor with a teal gauntlet on his left arm and a longer black glove on his right was clearly visible, black thigh high boots attatched to a brown belt was the next to show itself, and a charming face with pulled back black hair, gold eyes, and a mole under his right eye was revealed in an expression of pure loathing and hate as he finished his curse, "remember the rage of Diarmuid!"
Diarmuid Ua Duibhne was pulled from the moment he returned to the fourth grail.
The Lancer of the previous war seemed just as shocked as Saber was. Who would blame him? He had just been betrayed by his Master because of the workings of her previous Master. And who did he blame? Gold eyes shot to…
"Saber." He growled out her class like a curse. His right fist clenched and a command seal shone through it. Saber didn't understand how he could have a command seal, but the moment Rider appeared next to him, she knew who it was for.
Assassin left to go support Shirou as Diarmuid readied his two lances. Saber knew them well: Gae Dearg, the two meter long red spear that can ignore the use of mana; and Gae Buide the 1.4 meter long gold spear that tricks the body into believing it is fully healed with the injuries made by it.
Rider threw a chained nail at Saber that was deflected and Diarmuid shot forward. Saber's right arm was missing a gauntlet so she knew he'd be aiming Gae Buide at that arm and Gae Dearg at the other. This as well as her previous experience with the knight allowed Saber to fully predict his methods of attack, but she couldn't break through it as she still had to keep an eye out for Rider. Having to deflect four weapons at once was always a challenge, especially when they were so expertly aimed.
When all four managed to shoot at once, Saber frowned. She could deflect three of them but not the nail headed for her leg. If she lost mobility then it would probably be over.
A cursed red spear knocked away the nail.
"Come on, Saber. I know you're better than this. How could you have dodged my Gae Bolg if you're sucking this much?" Lancer landed back to back with Saber.
"You gonna fight at full strength this time?" Saber asked back, Lancer chuckled.
"After we win this, I wanna fight you next." Saber nodded.
At the other side of the temple, Berserker charged Shirou and Assassin, causing the two to temporarily pull back. Archer looked at Rin with a frown, the girl was exhausted and they'd barely gotten started. He reached into his left pocket and tossed the gem he had held onto for years back to its owner.
"I believe this belongs to you." He grinned as Rin seemed relieved.
"Thank you." Archer nodded then jumped to higher ground. Berserker was the type who could only really use backup if they weren't in his way.
"I see you ended up with two Servants as well." Rin turned to Ilya, ready to fight, "They're making a mess of this war. We'll fight after this is settled. For now, they're the enemy." Rin nodded and Ilya turned back to the fight.
So, I'm thinking of doing the next chapter as only Rebirth with no perspective other than which fight I'm on...it may take a while cause I suck at writing fight scenes and I want to make it as good as possible, but I think it may work better than doing what I have been doing.
Also, since I know this probably won't be explained...Assassin ended up absorbing Caster since she was the closest grail. Assassin is Sakura who had the fourth grail implanted in her. Basically, Assassin is pulling Diarmuid out of the fourth grail, and giving him Caster's mana and position. Meaning Diarmuid also has her command spells for Rider. I just don't want anyone vanishing cause of a lack of Master XP
Speaking of which, I almost had Kotomine talking to Lancer during the fight with Berserker to have him come check what was happening on the mountain...I almost forgot I had killed him XP Decided that Ilya would be willing to get another Servant if she still had Berserker and her war was being threatened. She definitely can handle it since she was powering Berserker for at least a month(I think it was two) without the help of the grail system and now she does have it. Rin needs help, but a gem with the power to bring someone back to life seems like a good boost XP
Also, I want to apologize, I mentioned someone last chapter that I said I thought was a girl...I am now pretty sure they're a boy ;P
Anyways, review please. Let me know what you liked, what you didn't like, if you think I should do the next chapter differently...I came up with an aria for Shirou's Unlimited Blade Works that feels just right for this situation. If you want to see it, review.