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

Moonlit Fate

Chapter 9

The morning dawned over Fuyuki City bright and sunny, the Sun shining down from a clear blue sky. Green leaves danced softly in a morning breeze, while clean water sparkled in the morning light. Birds chirped as they perched on tree branches, or flew through the air in search for food.

The suburbs lay quiet in the morning light save for the sounds of nature, along with the odd vehicle or pedestrian here and there. The Emiya property was no exception, the traditional Japanese-style property sitting in the middle of the suburbs, dark wood, white stone, and clean paper basking in the morning light.

As the birds chirped in the excitement of the morning, their innocent sounds woke a young man from his slumber. Fumbling for a bit under his sheets, Shirou Emiya eventually peeked out from under his blanket before flinching and squinting at the light pouring through the open doors. "That's bright." he complained before closing his eyes and turning over. "Did I go to the toilet last night? I must have…I'm sure I closed the doors before I went to sleep."

Shirou yawned and blearily glanced at a clock above the doorframe. "It's still too early." He murmured. "Just a few more minutes…" Shutting out the sounds of the birds outside, he turned on his side and gently grabbed the nearest pillow to pull it closer. It gave a muffled moan in response.

Wait, what?

When did pillows moan?

And why is it so warm? And since when did I have a body-sized pillow?

…

…

…

AND WHY DOES IT FEEL LIKE BARE SKIN?

Shirou squeezed the pillow, and it gave another moan. It snuggled up to him, and Shirou's eyes shot open as he felt hair tickle his chin. He looked down and to his horror spotted Arcueid Brunestud curled up like a cat against him. What's more, she'd discarded her yukata and was dressed only in a…very sheer slip of white.

Where did she get that?

And more importantly his hand was…

Shirou's scream shattered the morning peace and scared the birds away.

"Huh?" Sakura Tohsaka remarked from where she was closing the gates of the Emiya property behind her. "Did…was that…sempai…?"

Back in his bedroom Shirou had shot like an unwound spring out of his bed and back against the wall, while Arcueid blinked awake. Getting up to a sitting position she stretched and yawned, scratching at her cheek like a cat, her fangs glinting in the morning light. It would also be understatement to say that her stretching plus her nightwear was anything less than enticing.

Shirou glanced down at his lap and grabbed a nearby pillow – thankfully it had been thrown aside as he had jumped out of his bed – and planted it firmly over his lap. "Good morning." Saber remarked, sitting in a nearby corner.

Shirou glanced in her direction blankly before letting out a loud and somewhat long yelp of surprise (again). "W-w-w-w-what are you doing here?" he demanded, pointing a finger back and forth between Saber and Arcueid. "No, scratch that, why are you both in my room? In the morning…?"

Saber coughed primly. "It is a Servant's duty to protect the Master." She replied with a distrustful glance at Arcueid. "I was on watch during the previous night, when I noticed our…guest, slipping from her room into your room. However, despite how…inappropriate, her slipping into your room and bed is, I did not wish to disturb your slumber short of something truly…scandalous."

"Huh? What?" Arcueid yawned, her mind still asleep.

Shirou groaned and let his face fall into his hands. He should have seen this coming after Arcueid had introduced herself…and he'd decided to sleep it over before thinking deeply about it.

"Arcueid Brunestud…?" Shirou echoed and his face and voice incredulous. "As in the White Princess of the True Ancestors…?"

"The one and only…!"

Shirou stared at Arcueid. Then he stared at Saber. Then he stared back at Arcueid. And then he glanced at a glass of ice water sitting on the table in front of him. He took it and splashed it over his face.

"Master…!"

"Boy…!"

"Nope, I'm definitely not dreaming." Shirou said dully. "And don't call me that, I have a name it's Shirou Emiya."

"Shirou…Emiya…?" Arcueid echoed. Saber was silent, and Shirou took out a handkerchief and began to wipe at his face.

Shirou sighed as he put the handkerchief down. He then glanced at Arcueid. This was the last of the True Ancestors? A rather…unusual, if pretty young woman…? Well she certainly had the strength to be one, if she could fight a Servant – and if Saber was to be believed – and one of the more powerful classes at that.

Though, she could also be a Servant claiming to be the White Princess. On the other hand, Saber did say Servants could feel the presence of other Servants so…

Shirou sighed again. His life had suddenly become so complicated. Granted, being a magus – or even a spell-caster really – was complicated in itself, but compared to now…now, he was involved in a blood sport over a 'wish machine' calling itself 'the Holy Grail' and was hosting a True Ancestor – well, the last one left – in his house.

He glanced at Arcueid. "So," he said. "White Princess…"

"Call me Arcueid."

"Okay…Arcueid-san, can I help you?"

"What?"

"No, it's just that…well, you did say your business in Fuyuki is to hunt down the two other vampires loose in the city, but…well, here you are."

Arcueid smiled, and raised a finger to tap him on the lips. Shirou blinked, and then gaped as Arcueid latched onto an arm. "You interest me." She said. "I don't really need help, but I'll accept it if it's from you."

"Please refrain from inappropriate words and actions over my Master, White Princess." Saber said sternly. Arcueid glared at her, but Saber simply glared back. "I know of your kind, White Princess. The True Ancestors, the first vampires, children of the World and the King of the Moon…"

"We did not choose to be vampires." Arcueid growled, her fingers tightening around Shirou's arm. Shirou glanced at her in alarm.

"Arcueid-san," he said, and she blinked in surprise. She glanced at him and then away.

"Sorry."

Saber stared for a few moments, and then she sighed. "My apologies," she said. "It seems that I spoke rudely. Truly, as you say, it was not your choice to become vampires. It is a circumstance of birth, a flaw in your very being, and while some of you chose to embrace it, most from what I know chose sleep eternal as opposed to losing themselves."

Arcueid stared at Saber for a few moments, and then nodded. "Maybe we should wait until tomorrow to talk more about this." Shirou suggested after another moment. "I mean, we or rather you two were fighting it out just a while ago. A night's sleep could help clear things up, and the same could be said about me."

This reference to his near-fatal encounter with Rider caused Saber to look away in thought, and the same went for Arcueid. Though in the latter's case, she was wondering if she had the time to find that other Servant and mark him for trying to kill Shirou.

No, she had to find him. He mentioned a 'bloodsucker', and even if it wasn't certain it was Roa, she had to make sure.

And besides, Roa or not, it was her job to make sure Dead Apostles didn't get too uppity.

"Very well," Saber agreed. "As you say, spirits might still be high from earlier. A night's rest will help greatly in settling things down, allowing for rational thought in the morning."

Shirou nodded with a relieved smile. He glanced at Arcueid, who also nodded in agreement. "Right," he said, and got to his feet. "Shall I show you to your guest rooms?"

"It would be better suited for your protection if I slept in the same room as you, Shirou."

Shirou's thoughts came to a grinding halt. "What?" he said.

"Hey wait," Arcueid pre-empted Saber's response. "Why do you get to sleep in Shirou's room?"

"It is for his protection." Saber answered the vampire. "What interest is it of yours?"

"Anything that concerns Shirou is my interest!" Arcueid insisted. Saber narrowed her eyes.

"Why?"

Arcueid smiled at that. "What interest is it of yours?" she threw Saber's words back at her. "Don't worry, I don't plan on hurting him in any way, much less turn him into a Dead Apostle."

Saber tensed as Arcueid got to her feet, approaching a nervous Shirou and circling him like a curious feline. "I doubt Shirou will be Shirou as a Dead Apostle," she said before her face turned hollow. "And if he dies, then…then the dream ends."

"Dream…?" Saber echoed, Shirou looking just as confused as she sounded. Arcueid did not respond immediately, opting to look at her in silence for a moment.

"Don't worry," she said. "I don't want him to die either, even if I don't really know why yet."

There was silence for a moment, and then Shirou coughed. "Anyway," he said. "I'm not going to sleep with anyone, that's just improper. But…! I suppose you could take the rooms next to mine."

He paused and glanced at Saber. "There's a bounded field that detects intruders around the property." He said. "I'm sure either of you can get to me fast enough from the next room if someone breaks in, right?"

Saber was silent, and so was Arcueid. After a moment, Arcueid glanced at Saber from the corner of her eyes, and smiled at Shirou. "Of course I can." She said, immediately latching onto him again. "So long as she doesn't stay in the same room as you, I can sleep in the next room just fine."

"So she said last night." Shirou thought. "But she snuck in anyway…both of them…"

Shirou sighed, and looked up to where Arcueid was beginning to get her mental faculties up to speed and was looking at Saber with veiled territorial displeasure. Saber was impassive, giving no indication that she either noticed or felt threatened. Shirou sighed again. "What's next, Fuji-nee or Sakura walks in on this?" he thought. "How the hell do I…?"

"Sempai…?" he heard Sakura calling from down the hall with the sound of approaching, sock-clad feet.

Oh no…

Sakura quickly strode up and looked through the open door and took everything in with one glance. Shirou sitting against the far wall, a pillow held seemingly to cover something under it (in his lap). A blonde…woman, was sitting in a rumpled futon, wearing a very revealing slip of white. Another blonde woman, dressed in simple if formal wear, was sitting in a corner. Nothing about the scene indicated anything…torrid, had happened but still.

It was his bedroom.

"Sakura, I can explain." Shirou said, breaking out in a cold sweat as Sakura's eyes seemed to go blank.

"Oh, sorry." she said softly. "It seems I interrupted something interesting. Don't mind me I'll be taking my leave. See you in school, sempai."

"Hey wait!" Shirou said, stumbling up and running after Sakura who had turned and left down the corridor. …Sakura, wait!"

"So let me get this straight," Sakura said while sitting at Shirou's table, the owner of the house sitting opposite her. Saber was seated nearby while Arcueid was watching TV (it was showing morning cartoons). "You got attacked by Rider and accidentally managed to summon the Saber Class Servant of this war, who managed to keep you from getting killed."

"Yes!"

"And after Saber chased Rider off…"

"She did not!" Arcueid suddenly burst out. "I chased that…other Servant off!"

"I see." Sakura replied, trying to keep from meeting Arcueid's eyes while respectfully facing her in response. Arcueid raised an eyebrow at the response, her irritation at having something that she did getting credited to another replaced by curiosity at Sakura. "After the White Princess chased Rider off, she and Saber proceeded to brawl with each other, and you barely managed to stop them from going all out."

"That last part is a bit of an exaggeration…"

"You mentioned it looked like space was…folding, around the White Princess even as Saber charged her Noble Phantasm. I'd bet half my family's wealth that the White Princess was about to unleash her Marble Phantasm."

Shirou felt the blood drain from his face. Sakura sighed. "Sorry," she said, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions. With that said though,"

Sakura paused and leaned closer. "Why do I get the feeling this isn't the first time you've met the White Princess?" she asked.

"Well that's…"

"That's because it isn't." Arcueid cheerfully put in. "We met a few nights ago. I was looking for the Tenth, when I found Shirou here getting torn apart by the Tenth's beasts. I killed them, then while I was going to make for the Tenth, I discovered that not only was he alive and recovering, he wasn't turning either."

Shirou grimaced as Sakura's expression turned to a mix of incredulity and anger. "Thanks a lot Arcueid-san." He said.

"You're welcome."

Doesn't she recognize sarcasm?

"So let me get this straight," Sakura said again. "You ran into the Tenth Dead Apostle Ancestor, and didn't tell me afterwards?"

"Yeah, I kind off, um, forgot."

"YOU FORGOT…?" Sakura exploded before calming down and mentally counting to ten. "How the hell did you even survive? No scratch that, how have you not turned?"

"I don't know!" Shirou said in exasperation. "I know and remember getting torn apart by those…things, as if you could forget having your guts ripped out, but somehow here I am! And no, I'm not a Dead Apostle or anything. I doubt Arcueid-san wouldn't have killed me if that were the case."

"He's right." Arcueid said, moving to sit right next to Shirou and latching onto an arm. "It's one reason why I'm interested in him."

"Any other reasons…?"

Arcueid grinned. "That's a secret." She said.

Sakura sighed. "I don't know whether or not to pity you." She said. "You've got the most powerful being on the planet interested in you, one way or another for some reason."

"Thanks…I think."

Saber suddenly glanced towards the veranda at that moment. "A Servant is approaching." she said. "But who would approach in open daylight?"

"It's just Archer." Sakura replied. "I asked him to come over."

"You what…?" Shirou remarked aghast.

"What?"

"Things are hard enough explaining things to Fuji-nee with Arcueid-san and Saber around but your Servant…"

Sakura mentally counted to ten again, and pinched the bridge of her nose (again). "Leave Fujimura-sensei to me." She said. "Desperate times call for desperate measures."

"Sakura…"

"Oh relax sempai, as if I'd ever hurt her."

"Well…?" a blonde man in a white shirt under an open black jacket over black pants and boots remarked as he walked over the yard. Apparently, he jumped over the wall. "What's so important I had to rush over here in such an unseemly fashion, Sakura Tohsaka?"

"King of Heroes," Sakura said, gesturing to Arcueid. "The White Princess of the True Ancestors, Arcueid Brunestud."

"Oh…!" Archer remarked, going from mild annoyance to cheerful delight in an instant. "Well this is a cause for commendation! I had wanted to meet with you, last and greatest of the Guardians of Nature!"

"I didn't want to be the last." Arcueid remarked dryly. "And who are you?"

Saber however was staring at Archer with concealed horror and trepidation. He was acting differently to be sure – less arrogant (though still arrogant) for one thing – and also looked different, but if Shirou's friend Sakura was to be believed, then this was her nemesis from the previous war, the so-called King of Heroes.

More tyrant than king.

"Hmm…normally, I would take offence at not being recognized." Archer remarked. "No matter how long the passage of time, I remain King and should be recognized as such, no matter the extent of the degradation of my kingdom and people. But, I suppose I do not appear as I should at present, and of course, as a Guardian of Nature you are usually…detached, from the affairs of men."

Arcueid stared impassively at him, and with a grin Archer drew himself up. "I am Gilgamesh!" he proudly declared. "I am King of Heroes, Master of Mankind, Lord of the World and All its Treasures! I slew the giant Humbaba, and defied the rule of the gods to lay down the foundations of the Age of Man! I travelled the world in pursuit of immortality, and raised the city of Uruk of brick and bronze, the palest shadow of her King's glory!"

"So the first recorded hero," Arcueid said, her eyes briefly shifting gold as she 'read' Gilgamesh through the World. "And you have answered this girl's call, and returned to the world."

"Indeed," Archer replied. "I seek to test the other heroes in this contest, to have them prove themselves worthy of the title 'hero' before they may claim the Grail. Only one such worthy may be granted the honor of holding such a treasure."

"Is that so?" Arcueid said with a small laugh. "Well I don't really care about that piece of tin the magi are fighting over, but,"

She paused and gazed sternly at Archer, who met her gaze evenly. "I won't let Shirou come to any harm." She said. Archer's lips curled.

"The boy…?" he asked. "What is your interest in him, White Princess?"

Arcueid smiled. "Who knows?" she asked, and Archer laughed.

"Very well, keep your secrets guardian." he said before turning to Shirou who briefly flinched in surprise before meeting Archer's crimson eyes with his golden ones. They were the eyes of a predator, and one that could kill him in the blink of an eye with a whim, but Shirou didn't falter. Fear…fear, was something almost alien to him, after the experiences of his youth.

"You have spirit, boy." Archer finally said with a grudging note of approval. "Steel as well, perhaps you are a worthy friend to my servant here."

"Servant…?" Shirou echoed with a glance at Sakura. She shrugged, as though saying 'what can you do?'

"Speaking of servants," Shirou decided to press on. "Saber's explained the Holy Grail Wars to me, and I was wondering…"

"Yes…?"

"Sakura, you knew all this, didn't you?"

Sakura sighed and nodded. "Yes, I knew about it." She said. "The cycle of wars, the Grail, the Masters and Servants, and everything else: my family was one of those who started everything, along with the von Einzbern and the now-extinct Matou."

"The Matou…?"

"They used to be magi, but their bloodline has withered." Sakura said, leaving out the fact that she was supposed to be the next Matou magus until…until catastrophe struck.

"And you didn't tell me this?"

"In my defence the Holy Grail War was not supposed to happen for another forty years." Sakura replied. "I don't know why it's started early, or whether or not it's a good thing, but it is here, so I might as well make the best of it."

Shirou crossed his arms and hummed to himself. "No," he eventually said. "I think that's just an excuse. Though, I guess we really are friends, aren't we?"

"Huh?"

Shirou smiled knowingly. "You didn't want to drag me into the war, didn't you?" he asked. "That's why you didn't tell me."

"T-t-that's…"

Shirou smiled triumphantly, but it quickly vanished as Archer spoke up. "While I'm glad that you two friends match well," he said, leaning on the doorframe. "Even with the best intentions, friends shouldn't lie to each other. You see, that's where it all starts, hiding things from each other. It starts out with good intentions, but all it does is set a precedent for friends to start going behind each other's backs. Do you really think friendship will endure like that?"

"Some things aren't meant to be shared." Sakura said softly. "Even among friends…"

"A fair point," Archer conceded. "But your friend is a magus. It is inevitable that he would be dragged into the war as he resides in this city. And it has been ably demonstrated by Rider's near-fatal assault."

Sakura looked horrified at that, while Shirou glanced at Archer in surprise. "How do you know about Rider?" he asked.

Archer glanced at him. "Obviously Sakura Tohsaka told me along the way here." He said. He then glanced back to Sakura, who was looking utterly thunderstruck. "Lies aren't just distortions of the truth or falsities. It also covers the hiding of necessary truths. As you said, even among friends or even family, some things are not meant to be shared. But if you hide something unnecessarily, even if you did not distort the truth, simply promoting ignorance is a form of falsity in itself. In other words: a lie."

Sakura glanced away at that, biting at her lip. Archer narrowed her eyes as she spotted Sakura clenching her fists. "The bitterest truths are still sweeter than the sweetest lies." He said, and she closed her eyes.

"I know." She said in a tone of absolute certainty. "I will never forget. And which makes this lapse, all the more unforgivable."

Archer stared at her for several more moments before looking away. "Yes," he said. "I can see that."

So child, what lies blinded you so, that you understand those words?

After all, Human beings can only ever truly understand that which they experience. Simply knowing is never enough.

"Sorry, sempai." Sakura said. "It might have been good intentions on my part, but in the end, I still lied to you."

"Hmm," Shirou scratched the back of his head uncomfortably. "That's not necessarily true…"

"If I had told you about this war," Sakura interrupted him. "You might not have been attacked by Rider. Or even if you were, you might have been better prepared and not come so close to death."

"Yeah, but that's just the thing isn't it? The keyword there is 'might'."

"A fount of optimism, aren't you boy?" Archer said with a laugh. "There's a good attitude. No one who ever doubted in his abilities and chances has ever succeeded."

"See, he's interesting isn't he?" Arcueid asked, and Archer shrugged.

"On the other hand though," Saber remarked. "Overconfidence has gotten plenty killed over the ages."

"True," Archer conceded. "But one must also keep in mind that for the overly-cautious, everything is impossible. Children do not learn to walk without stumbling more than a few times along the way. Learn your limits, surpass them, learn your new limits, and surpass those as well! Never stop walking forward, never stop aiming to be better, and be all you can possibly be! Such is evolution, the perfection of Humanity which the gods could never understand!"

Saber raised an eyebrow at that. "He…he is different. A different King of Heroes than the one I fought ten years ago." She thought. "But still…let me see more before I pass final judgment."

Shirou and Sakura, while hearing Archer's words, left it for the future. Sakura was bitter over the consequences of her lies (or at least hiding the truth), and Shirou was remembering something Rider had told him.

…my Master told me to kill you. Apparently she's got some beef with that woman of yours, so she wants you dead to stick it to your woman where it really hurts.

Shirou blinked and then narrowed his eyes in realization. "Sakura," he said. "Do you or your family have enemy or enemies who might take advantage of this war to finish a vendetta?"

"Huh?" Sakura responded in surprise. "Well, the Edelfelt have some…negative, history with us, but it's not that bad. Why do you ask?"

"Rider said that his Master has a grudge against you." Shirou said. "Apparently, the whole reason I was targeted was because they wanted to get at you."

Sakura ground her teeth and slammed her fist down on the table. "Damn it!" she said angrily. "I don't give a damn if they hate me or my family, but like hell they're getting away with going after my friends! Damn it! And what's worse, they came so close to succeeding, all because of me! Damn it, damn it, damn it!"

"Calm down Sakura." Shirou said. "If you have time to act…well, unlike you, then you should have time to think about what to do next."

Sakura took a deep breath, and nodded. "Yes, you're right." She said. "This isn't like me at all. Though perhaps that's a good thing, in part…"

"What?"

"A wake up call," Sakura replied, biting at a thumb. "I've never worked to my best, unlike…well, never mind that. But perhaps I should start doing so, if only to keep my friends safe."

Sakura narrowed her eyes. "Rider and his Master," she said thoughtfully. "Who could they be, and what does the latter have against me or my family that they'd go after me and my friends?"

"I don't know." Shirou said.

"Well," Arcueid pitched in. She flexed her free hand, her claws extending and flashing in the morning light. "Here's an idea: find them and kill them. I'll even do it for you, if only to get back at them for trying to kill Shirou."

I'll kill them for trying to take away the dream.

"Easier said than done," Sakura replied. "Magi are very good at hiding, sometimes even in plain sight. And you should focus on hunting Michael Roa Valdamjong…"

Sakura was cut off as the front door slammed open and close. "Shirou…!" a woman's voice echoed loudly through the house. "Sakura…! It's breakfast time!"

Sakura and Shirou glanced at each other, and rising to their feet (Shirou prying Arcueid off his arm), went off to confront their teacher before she caused things to get even more complicated than they already were. For a while, the two Servants and the True Ancestor sat in silence. And then Archer turned to glance at Saber. "So," he said with a knowing smile. "What have you concluded about me, Saber?"

A/N

Actually, yes, Gilgamesh in the Nasuverse helped precipitate the eventual end of the Age of Gods and the beginning of the Age of Men. His creation was supposed to extend (for how long is unclear) the Age of Gods, but Gilgamesh rejected them and in so doing ensured their decline and downfall. Ironic, considering how much he despises the modern era, but considering his vision of Humanity's future in Fate/Extra perhaps the modern era is just the 'darkness before the dawn'.

On the other hand though, given the Nasuverse can be as grimdark as Warhammer 40,000, Humanity's ascension is probably less likely compared to the dead end of Angel Notes, which is the likelier end for Humanity. Along with the world of Tsuki no Sango…

Ever the optimist, eh Shirou…? And is it just me or is Saber in some ways just as tsun-tsun as Rin is?

Sakura dislikes lies, which is ironic considering that magus society is dependent on a lie (the common man must not know magic exists), though the 'why' won't be revealed for a long while yet. You are of course, free to guess the answer.

Edited: June 01, 2017.