From the Ashes

by Day Dreamer 62

When the Moon Cell's war ends and another begins, Hakuno finds herself unwillingly thrust into it. Summoned as a Servant, it is Hakuno's turn to play hero. Can she overcome both new and old obstacles to claim victory for her Master? Rated T for Language! Archer x Female Protagonist. Slight Shirou x Female Protagonist. AU and slight OOC. HIATUS.

10. Chapter Ten The Parting Glass

DD 62: Posting this chapter early because I'm going to be busy on the day I usual post. A late Christmas present for all of my lovely readers!

I really didn't want to write this chapter just because it is extremely sad. If I want this story to progress, however, I have to push on. Similar to the last chapter, expect changes in the point of view. Try to enjoy! And again, THANK YOU for all the favorites, follows, and reviews. You guys are the best readers ever!

Disclaimer: I do not own "The Parting Glass", Fate/EXTRA, or anything else in the franchise. I do own a copy of the game and am a loyal fan.

~xXxXx~

Lancer's POV

I found it interesting that I had been summoned by the same Master twice. Granted, they were from different dimensions and they were slightly different but they were still the same. I think the Grail just loves to screw with Servants. Of course, it was ultimately my choice to answer her summoning but I digress.

It was almost nostalgic being back on Earth. The previous war I had participated in was fun and all but I died too early to enjoy it fully. Now that I think about it, I didn't get to enjoy the last war I was in on Earth either. My Master had been brutally murdered by that damned priest and I was forced into his service. I held a grudge against him and bided my time in hopes of avenging Bazett. I never got the chance to kill Kotomine personally as his other pet had the privilege of killing me when I turned against him.

That war had been no fun whatsoever.

This war was looking much more promising. A few of the Masters were the same from that other dimension but there were some new faces. Archer's Master was unfamiliar to me and I hadn't the slightest idea who summoned Assassin this time around. That Emiya boy managed to summon Caster and low behold it was the Master that had saved Rin in the Moon Cell. She still remembered me from our brief encounter which was a plus. I saw this as an opportunity to repay her for what she had done for that Rin.

I just never expected to be facing off against Berserker by myself.

It wasn't like I didn't want Caster's help but she was too injured to offer me any assistance. Plus, if I even remotely wanted either her Master or mine to make it out of there alive, I had to hold off Berserker long enough for them to escape. Rin knew I wasn't going to make it back to her and I think Caster did too. She looked utterly broken when I handed her off to her Master. She had spirit, I'll give her that. However, it would make me feel guilty if she died trying to help me with this battle. I sent them away with tears in both Rin and Caster's eyes.

I didn't watch them as they retreated.

"Trying to run away Rin? I won't allow that. Berserker!" Einzbern's voice cried to her Servant.

Berserker roared and tried to run past me to them. I traced a rune on my lance for speed and dashed in front of him effectively blocking his progress. Bringing the head of the lance up, I sliced the mindless Servant across the chest. He roared in pain and swung his own weapon at me. I jumped back from him.

"I'm your biggest problem right now big guy so come and get me!"

Berserker took my bait and came at me. I brought my lance up just in time to block his swing. Due to how powerful it was, I was pushed back a few feet. I adjusted my hold on my trusty weapon and waited for Berserker to attack again. He roared again and continuously swung his axe at me. There was no real pattern to his swings so it was easier to just block them and wait for an opening. Seeing one, I ran between strikes and landed another blow to his chest. I was too close and wasn't able to move much which Berserker took advantage of. He brought his fist back and punched me as hard as he could in the stomach. I coughed up blood and was sent spiraling away from him. Wincing, I pushed myself to my feet and leaned against my lance for support.

"You have a wicked right my friend."

"Amusing that you find your situation funny." Berserker's Master finally came into view. She stood several feet away from the battle with a hand resting on either hip. A sickeningly sweet smile graced her face. "Answer me this Lancer: what's to stop me from going after your allies once you're dead?"

"When I do finally die, Berserker will be such a bad state you'll have no choice but to return to your home to recuperate."

"What makes you think you can hurt Berserker that badly?"

I smirked at the girl. "I have a few tricks up my sleeves."

~xXxXx~

Rin's POV

Why did I have to summon a perverted Servant? Was this some sort of punishment for entering the war without a concrete wish? Is it that bad that I just wanted to compete? In any case, I was gratefully that my Servant was at least from the Knight classes. I could've ended up with Rider or Caster. Lancer was a capable enough man and I was happy for his assistance. His perverted comments were certainly unwanted but I could over look them.

I wish we could have had more time together.

Whether it was due to guilt or obligation, I had allied myself with Emiya Shirou and his Servant in hopes of defeating Berserker and any other Servants that came at us until we were the last two standing. Then I would deal with Caster.

I could never have guessed that Lancer and Caster would get along and work so well together.

Their battles against Archer and Saber proved that they could adapt their fighting styles to compliment the other's. It was amazing really. They made quite the formidable team. It's unfortunate that Berserker had to show up and ruin everything. Caster took a pretty bad beating from him and was in no condition to keep fighting. She was stubborn like her Master and insisted she could still help. We all knew if she continued this battle, there was a very big chance she wouldn't make it out alive. I managed to convince her that it was in her best interest to retreat and let Lancer handle this one. Of course, I knew without another Servant's help that Lancer wouldn't make it out alive either but I wasn't about to tell Caster that.

A sharp pain in my left hand made me wince. Shirou took notice.

"Tohsaka, are you alright?"

"It's Lancer, isn't it?"

Caster's defeated tone caught me off guard. I had never heard her so downcast before. I gritted my teeth. "He's trying very hard, I'm sure."

We continued on in silence. As we turned a corner, I became aware of a Servant's presence. Shirou and I stopped in our tracks and scanned the area for whoever was there. It was no surprise when I saw Honda Takuya step underneath a streetlight accompanied by Archer. Archer's eyes narrowed at the sight of Caster in Shirou's arms. Did he have a problem with what he saw? Was there a possibility that they knew each other when they were alive? I shook my head and glared at the pair.

"What are you doing here Honda?" Shirou asked tensely. I noticed that he tightened his grip on his Servant.

"I sensed a large amount of prana coming from the school and came in hopes of finding some enemy Servants dead."

Archer shoot him a sharp look then turned his eyes back to Caster. "What happened to Caster? Is she going to be alright?"

"Why do you care?" I snapped impatiently. We were still too close to the school and Lancer can't hold Berserker off forever. It was crucial that we get away now. "If you're planning to attack us then by all means, go ahead. I promise you that Caster is strong enough to defeat you and if you did hurt her then Shirou would most likely attack as well."

Takuya cocked his head to the side. "Where is your Servant Tohsaka? I don't sense him near us."

"He's fighting Berserker by himself." Archer stated.

"Is that so?" Takuya pondered his next move. "We will escort you three home and discuss our next move."

"Excuse me?" Caster bit out. She had to pause and take a breath before continuing. "W-we don't need your pity or want your help."

"We all know that Lancer won't survive his battle with Berserker. If any of us hope to win then we need to band together and stop Berserker."

I hated to admit it but Takuya had a point. My Servant was…was going to die and that meant Caster lost her partner in battle and would have to fight by herself. Casters aren't made for frontline combat and neither are Archers but together they had a better chance of defeating Berserker with each other than by themselves. I glanced at Shirou for his opinion. With his nod, I turned my gaze back to Takuya and Archer.

"Fine, let's go!"

~xXxXx~

Lancer's POV

I sucked in a pained breath as my body made contact with the wall of the school. My body crumpled to the ground. Berserker ran over to me and picked me back up. I gritted my teeth and braced myself for the next throw. Berserker spun in a circle then released his hold on me and sent me flying. I hit a nearby tree hard enough to knock it over. Groaning, I tried to get to my feet before Berserker had the chance to throw me again.

"Why don't you just give up Lancer? It'll make your end faster."

I laughed through the pain and smirked at Illyasviel. "I never know when to give up lass."

I got to my feet and began gathering prana. Might as well try to hit the bastard with my Noble Phantasm once more. I pulled my arm back and let my lance go as I threw it forward.

"Gae Bolg!"

My lance flew towards its mark. Berserker tried to sidestep it but my Noble Phantasm never misses. It followed Berserker no matter what he tried to do to stop it. Blood spurted from Berserker's already bleeding chest. He roared in pain as I dashed forward and pulled my lance from his chest and slashed an X across it. I barely managed to jump away from Berserker before his axe hit me. We were both panting from exhaustion.

"I'm growing tired of this aimless battle. Berserker! Use your Noble Phantasm and end him!"

A surge of prana filled the air and enveloped Berserker. He threw his axe into the air and charged at me. I didn't even try to avoid him. Call it curiosity or insanity but I wanted to see what Berserker's Noble Phantasm was. He grabbed me and slammed me into the ground. The air rushed from my lungs. The sensation of arms gripping my limbs and holding me in place registered in my mind. I felt my prana being slowly drained away as the skeletal arms held me still. Berserker stepped away from me and raised his hand. The axe that had fallen to the ground hung in the air above me. Berserker swung his hand back and forth and his axe did the same thing. It reminded me of some sort of ancient torture machine. Berserker lowered his hand every few minutes and his axe got closer and closer to me. I glanced at Berserker and was surprised to see some intelligence in his eyes. That was different; maybe I could get some information out of him.

"You look serious Berserker; what's bothering you?"

"I became insane, with long intervals of horrible sanity."

I gave him a confused look. "Is that supposed to tell me something about you?"

"I remained too much inside my head and ended up losing my mind." Berserker continued as he slowly lowered his hand.

"I don't understand you."

"You must not be from his century Lancer." His Master commented. She shrugged her shoulders. "If your Master were here, she would know who he is. Probably."

"You insult my intelligence!" I joked.

"All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream."

Berserker was really beginning to irritate me. His axe was centimeters from my torso. I closed my eyes as the axe torn into me. Pain erupted all over me and blood oozed from the gaping wound. I gasped for breath. The attack had torn into my lungs. I opened my eyes and saw the intelligence slowly leaving Berserker's eyes.

"Years of love have been forgot, in the hatred of a minute."

"Good bye Lancer." Illyasviel's voice held no note of sympathy. "May you find peace in oblivion."

My vision was beginning to darken. All the color drained from my surroundings. I tried in vain to keep breathing but my heart beat was getting slower and slower. Damn it, I was dying. Caster was going to be pissed. She was going to kick my ass next time we met. A smile crossed my face at that thought. That's right; she's a Servant now so there was a possibility that we would be summoned in the same war again. My eyes were getting heavy. Guess it's time for me to go. As the darkness consumed me, I heard a sad voice, singing. I smiled again as Caster's soft voice echoed around me. I dimly wondered where she learned the song but I found it to be very appropriate for the situation.

I was looking forward to seeing her again.

~xXxXx~

Caster's POV

A strange look came over Rin's face. She stopped running which caused Shirou to stop as well. She stood still for a moment before bringing her left hand up to eye level. It had no Command Seals on it.

My heart sank as I realized what that meant.

Rin let her hand drop then started running again. I didn't know what to say to her. Even in the Moon Cell, Rin had handled losing Lancer fairly well on her own but I felt like I should do something this time around. I felt tears trail down my cheeks and buried my face back into Shirou's chest. He squeezed me sympathetically. I thought I heard Archer growl behind us but I couldn't be sure.

We reached Shirou's house and Rin held the door open for us. Shirou slipped in and kicked his shoes off. He carried me to the living room and gently set me on a cushion. I winced.

"Sorry Caster." He reached down and began to take my boots off. He glanced up as Rin, Takuya, and Archer came into the room. "Tohsaka, can you heal her?"

She silently nodded and moved to sit next to me. She motioned to my cloak. I reached up with my hand and undid the clasp that held my cloak around my neck. The red material fell around me and exposed my bruised and scraped up arms. Rin burrowed her brow in concentration and pulled a gem from her pocket. Holding it in one hand, she placed the other on my left shoulder. I flinched away from her touch. So that's what I had broken. Rin firmly grasped my shoulder and pushed prana into my bones coaxing them to mend. Slowly, they did as she wanted and I cried out in pain. It felt like my bones were rearranging themselves rather than mending.

"It's okay Caster," Shirou said as he took ahold of my hand, "you're fine."

I think Archer growled again.

I squeezed the crap out of Shirou's hand as pain shot through me again. This time, it had come from my right leg. Berserker must have crushed some of the bones in my leg when he was throwing me around. The small cuts and scrapes were slowly disappearing as Rin worked. I felt completely healed by the time she sighed and leaned away from me.

"You should be fine now." She spoke softly, tiredly.

I gave her a concerned look. "Are you okay Rin?"

"I'll be fine."

I gave her another look. Takuya cleared his throat. I glared at the man. He seemed unfazed and began speaking.

"Now that Caster is healed, we should go after Berserker."

"Right now? Isn't that a little too soon?"

"Berserker is injured from his battle with Lancer. If we strike now, we'll have a better chance of defeating him."

"I may be healed," I began slowly, "but I still don't have enough prana to fight."

"She's right Master. We'd be going to our deaths if we tried anything now."

Takuya sighed in frustration. He grumbled under his breath.

We all ignored him.

I was startled by a soft sob that came from Rin. She had her head down and tears were falling onto the floor. I turned to Shirou and motioned for him to comfort her. I stood up and walked over to the porch as Shirou moved over to Rin's side. He put a reassuring arm around her shoulders. She turned her face into his shoulder and let out a loud sob. I sat down facing the yard.

"Rin, who was Lancer? Did he ever tell you?" I asked. It didn't hurt anyone if she told us now.

She sniffed. "H-he said he was Cú Chulainn, a Celtic hero."

"Celtic, huh?" I chuckled as I realized why he had teased Saber so much for his accent.

A song popped into my head. It was an Irish drinking song but it seemed like an appropriate one for this situation. I opened my mouth and began to sing it. It didn't matter if I was on key or not; all that mattered was the meaning of the song.

"Of all the money that e'er I had

I spent it in good company

And all the harm that e'er I've done

Alas it was to none but me

And all I've done for want of wit

To mem'ry now I can't recall

So fill to me the parting glass

Good night and joy be with you all

Of all the comrades that e'er I had

They are sorry for my going away

And all the sweethearts that e'er I loved

They wish me one more day to stay

But since it falls unto my lot

That I should rise and you should not

I'll gently rise and softly call

Good night and joy be with you all

Good night and hoy be with you all."

No one spoke as my song came to its end. I sat still and listened to the sounds that filled the night. I bowed my head and silently wished Lancer a peaceful slumber. I knew we would see each other again someday. I heard someone get up and come over to me. A hand landed gently on my previously injured shoulder and gave it a gratefully squeeze.

"Thank you Caster." Rin smiled weakly at me.

I reached up and placed my hand over hers. "We'll beat Berserker, Rin. Not just to win the war but also for Lancer."

~xXxXx~

DD 62: I almost cried when I wrote this chapter. The song is what inspired this chapter: The Parting Glass by Ed Sheeran. If any of you played Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, you should recognize this song. It's the same one Anne Bonnie sings at the end of the game. It was really hard for me to kill off Lancer; he's one of my favorite characters. Reviews are welcome and appreciated! HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Bonus Content

"Hi there! My name is Taiga Fujimura and this is another great installment of Talk with Taiga, sponsored by Day Dreamer 62! Our special guest today is one we all hold near and dear to our hearts. Please give a warm and loving welcome to Lancer!"

*Cue applause and fangirl screams as Lancer comes on stage. He winks at the cute girl in the front row making her swoon.*

"It's a pleasure to be here. I couldn't wait to finally meet you for real."

"I'm happy to finally meet you too! Wait, what do you mean 'for real'?"

"Ahahaha! It's just a little joke. But by all means, let's get started!"

"Right…First question! You remembered Caster from the Moon Cell, didn't you?"

"Who could ever forget such a cute, innocent face such as her's?"

"I can't decide if that's sweet or creepy. Next question! How much do you like Caster?"

"She's a very sweet and caring girl. Who blame me if I fell for her? Um…Archer and Gilgamesh aren't watching, right?"

"Where do you come from?"

"You didn't answer my question!"

"You didn't answer mine!"

"But…I…oh, to hell with it. I'm from Ireland. Nice place, plenty of ale and pretty girls."

"What was the funniest moment from this Holy Grail War?"

"Any moment I got to tease my Master or Caster was entertaining for me!"

"You big meanie! Leave Caster alone!"

*Unscheduled commercial break as the staff tried to calm down Taiga and rescue Lancer from her rage*

"And we're back! We have a few more questions for you Lancer. Are you ready?"

"Y-yes ma'am!"

"How did you die in your real life?"

"That's a memory I try not to dig up, thanks."

"Well, Saber answered the question."

"Just…please continue."

"Alright then. Does Caster remind you of someone?"

"Not off the top of my head. Then again, I try not to compare cute girls to one another."

"Who would you consider your best friend in the Holy Grail War?"

"Probably Caster or my Master. Scratch that, just Caster. We got along pretty well."

"Who do you like most, Rin or Caster?"

"I'm obligated to say Rin as she is my Master but honestly, I could never pick between them. I would argue that they are the most important women in my life."

"That's sooo sweet! Would you have liked Caster to have been your Master?"

"In another universe, she actually was my Master. We had such a good time. Almost won too."

"Wow, really?! Tell us more!"

"A story for another time perhaps."

"You're no fun! What would you like to do if you ever went on a date with Caster?"

"I know for a fact that she loves music so I'd love to take her to a concert or something. She'd love that."

"How thoughtful! Would you have liked to have a one on one fight with Archer?"

"Do you know how many times I've fought that white haired bastard one on one before? Too many times than I care to count. Caster was very helpful once she actually got into the fight. It was also nice to see her in action."

"Do I detect a note of affection in your voice Lancer?"

"Is it wrong to have admiration for a woman?"

"If it's you? Yes, yes it is. Do you think you could win against Caster if you ever fought?"

"Depends on which Noble Phantasm she used. Both of them are very powerful and could kill me in a heartbeat."

"Wait, Caster has two Noble Phantasms?! Is that even legal?!"

"I'd like to point out Gilgamesh."

"Fair point. Well, that's all the time we have today! Thanks for watching and tune in next time when we sit down and talk to…who dies next? Whatever! HAPPY NEW YEAR!"

DD 62: We won't have a "Talk with Taiga" for a while but be thinking up questions for any of the other Servants! Only I know who will die in the future! Mwahahahahahaha! Hope everyone has a Happy New Year! Until next time!