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Legacy of the Ancients

Chapter 13

"I should kill you, you treacherous dog." Sabre spat in anger. Irisviel von Einzbern could only wince, while Maiya Hisau looked rather unaffected, as did Kiritsugu Emiya. "You…you have defiled my honour, and that of a Knight of Fianna…answer me then, why should I not kill you here and now?"

"If you kill me then you will lose your chance at the Holy Grail." Kiritsugu replied coolly, and Sabre snorted in response.

"I could simply make a contract with another Master…"

"True…" Kiritsugu interrupted. "…but a better question would be would they trust you? After all you would have killed your own Master. They might contract with you, but they'd probably keep you restrained with a command spell. Would you accept that? I suppose you could contract with Irisviel, but if you kill me…"

"…you disgust me." Sabre interrupted.

"…do I?" Kiritsugu asked with a smirk. "Why is that? Did you not do similar things in the past?"

"Kiritsugu…!" Irisviel said in outrage at the insinuation, but Kiritsugu held up a hand to let him finish.

"Sabre, as your Master I have seen some of your memories. You and I are not so different."

Sabre stayed silent, stonily glaring at the man. "Both you and I understand that battles are by no means pretty things. Anyone who's been on a battlefield understands this. If that is the case, would it not be better to end the battle as quickly and as bloodlessly as possible?" Kiritsugu continued. "Chivalry…honour…those things are meaningless. They do nothing but glorify war and bloodshed."

"But…those things…they…" Sabre whispered.

"Yes…" Kiritsugu said in understanding. "…they anchor you and yours on the right side of the line. Or perhaps not…let us be candid Sabre: fully half of the Knights of the Round turned against you and sided with Mordred in the end."

Sabre looked away. "What do you believe in then, Kiritsugu?" she asked in a whisper.

"I believe in the path of least bloodshed." Kiritsugu said. "One life to save ten, ten to save a hundred, a hundred to save a thousand...to sum it up, I believe that a lesser evil is justifiable so long as it contributes to a greater good." Sabre did not reply, and Kiritsugu smiled knowingly before making to leave with Maiya. "Now that you know this, ask yourself this: are we so different?"

Irisviel waited until her husband and his assistant had left before turning to Sabre. "Sabre…" she began. "…I'm sorry. Kiritsusu…"

"No…" Sabre interrupted sadly. "…he is right. We're not all that different from each other. If anything he is more admirable than I. He at the very least is honest about what he does…me? I say one thing and do something else entirely."

"What are you saying?"

"When the Saxons invaded Britain…" Sabre explained sadly. "…I had a choice whether to face them immediately or to draw them in and allow us to fight them at a more advantageous opportunity. The former would mean victory at a great cost for the men under my command. So I chose the latter, which also had the risk of allowing the invaders to gain a foothold on British soil. So I ordered all the villages in the invaders' path to be destroyed, and every field to be burned, so as to ensure that the Saxons would gain nothing in their advance but smoking ruins and acre upon acre of blackened earth."

"Scorched earth…" Irisviel whispered in horror, and Sabre nodded in confirmation.

"It worked." She continued. "When we finally struck back, the Saxons had been weakened and demoralized by their lack of gains, and were swiftly defeated. But for every voice that hailed our victory, there was another who raged against the brutality by which it was achieved, for it was undeniable that we could have won even had we not resorted to such means. And so the seeds were planted for Britain's destruction."

"...but that doesn't mean you are dishonest!" Irisviel protested.

"It does." Sabre disagreed. "I say that a king must be willing to give all to protect his kingdom, and to uphold just laws for the sake of a just reign…but at that time, I…I made the people, the ones who should have been protected, I made them bleed for the ones who should have been bleeding for them."

"Oh Sabre…"

Sabre laughed without mirth. "It would seem that the King of Conquerors is correct isn't he?" she asked much to Irisviel's horror. "It is not the king who sacrifices for the people, but it is the people who sacrifice for their king. When I sacrificed the people I attained victory, just like when the Saxons invaded. But when I sacrificed my happiness for their sake, I only ensured Britain's destruction…"

"…that's not true!"

"It is true!" Sabre exploded. "If…if I…I walked a path of self-denial, but in so doing I sacrificed the happiness of those who followed me. Guinevere, Lancelot…it's my fault. If I had been more understanding of what drives the hearts of ordinary men and women then all that need not have happened."

"Even so, the both of you are wrong!"

Sabre blinked. "What did you say?"

"The King of Conquerors derided you for upholding your ideals to the end, but he was wrong to do so." Irisviel said compassionately. "Your ideals may have been unachievable, but they were beautiful ideals that for a time brought peace and happiness to those that lived under your reign. Even if it was not a lasting peace, the sheer fact that it brought peace for a time proved that those ideals were never wrong. I would even say that the fact that you held true to them all the way to the end, is what makes you a hero."

"Irisviel…"

The homunculus smiled and walked closer. "To deny the undeniable and to make the impossible possible even for a short while…" she said. "…to remain true to what one believes in until the very end…is that not a most admirable thing? Does it not rival conquering the known world?"

"…I…"

"But Sabre, you are wrong in your desire to change the past as well." Irisviel continued, and placed her hands on the blonde's shoulders. "As Caster asked before, you do value the loyalty of those who stood by you to the end, do you not?"

"…I do!"

"Then honour their loyalty." Irisviel urged her. "Do not change the past, King of Knights. Mourn it if you must, but do not regret it. You gave your all, and it was enough to bring peace and prosperity even for a time. Be content, and believe in your people's will to carry on without you."

Sabre fell silent, thinking of times past, but no longer of the blood-stained hill of Camlann, but of Camelot at the height of its glory, and of Britain at peace, its people smiling as armoured knights kept watch over the realm. "What should I do now?" she whispered.

Irisviel smiled, and embraced Sabre comfortingly. "That is entirely up to you now." She replied. "You are the once and future King, are you not? I believe that you will find a proper reason to fight, because you are who you are."

"What I want?" Kirei echoed in confusion.

"Yes…" Caster confirmed. "…you are a very interesting man, Kirei Kotomine. You are someone who finds enjoyment in harming others, and yet recognize such a thing is wrong. But you cannot understand why then do you enjoy this, and this contradiction has left you an empty person."

"How did you…?"

Caster smiled poisonously. "I am very good at reading people. And your father was very informative too." She admitted. "I can very persuasive if I have to be, but rest assured: there should be no lasting harm, and he will not remember anything of what we talked about."

"You poisonous witch…!"

Caster's smile faded, and Kirei could have sworn that the ambient temperature around them dropped by a degree or so. "I would advise you never to use that term again." She said coldly, and Kirei narrowed his eyes. It seemed that Caster had a certain aversion to the word 'witch'.

"Is that all you came here to do?" he asked. "To mock me…?"

"Please…" Caster retorted while rolling her eyes. "…I would waste neither your time nor mine on such tasteless mockery."

"Then why…?"

Caster smiled again. "I came to ask: why do you fight for Tokiomi Tohsaka, when you know he cannot give you the answer that you seek? What do you stand to gain should he finally reach Akasha?"

"Akasha…? But that means…!"

"Yes, I know about the Greater Grail." Caster said, and then laughed with amusement. "I knew that the Grail was well-made for this dull era, but to think it was capable of that."

"What would you have me do then?" Kirei demanded. "Seek the Root myself…? That's…!"

"No, seeking the Root is meaningless for you." Caster replied. "You lack a Servant too. But more to the point reaching the Root would not give you the answers either. Assuming you survive attaining it, I doubt that obtaining one of the sorceries of the modern era would give you your answers. And even if you gain your answer, there's the possibility that in the process you'd be changed so much by the Root that you would not be able to return. There's not much point in getting what you want when you can't enjoy it, is there?"

"You're trying to subvert me, aren't you?" Kirei ground out, and Caster laughed at him.

"Of course I am…" she said while beginning to casually walk towards and past him. "…but I also want you to ask yourself: if Tohsaka cannot give you the answer, and the Grail does not offer it either, then perhaps someone or something else can?"

Kirei whirled to face the Servant of the Spell, but she was gone. "Another illusion…" he muttered, and then he heard her ghostly laughter in the night breeze.

"We will meet again Kirei Kotomine." Her words ghosted into his mind. "As I said you are a very interesting man, and I look forward to continuing our conversation. Furthermore I would ask that you keep this encounter from Tohsaka. Such a dull man would undoubtedly respond to it in a most uncivilized manner."

As he felt her presence disappear, Kirei felt tempted to immediately report the situation to his father and to Tokiomi. But he just as quickly crushed the temptation, because he knew that Caster was right. Neither his father nor Tokiomi could give him an answer, but without a Servant he had no chance for the Grail, nor would obtaining it and the Root mean anything. But Caster…she was from the Age of the Gods. Perhaps she had an answer…or a means to gaining one…it was a very enticing offer.

He would keep his wits about him, that much was certain. And just as certain was that he would keep this to himself. At least until Caster could deliver what she had been implying, that is.

Waver dreamed. That wasn't so unusual, but the usual things he dreamt about usually involved magical success and prominence, and at times – he was a healthy boy towards the end of his adolescence – he also dreamt of a pretty girl by his side. But tonight was different.

He stood on the beach, the sky above tinted rose and pearl by the breaking dawn, the sound of waves gently breaking across the shore a calming play on the senses. The sea stretched endlessly to the horizon, and the sandy beach stretched endlessly to his left and the right. Waver Velvet looked up at the sky, and thence to the endless sea.

It was beautiful. Serene and untouched, Waver understood that such a place could not possibly exist, but it existed. Somewhere across time and space it existed, and could only be reached by one who defied all the obstacles placed in one's path with an indomitable will bent on constantly moving forward, refusing to be held back and to be locked in stasis. But then what?

This sea stretched endlessly to the horizon, with nothing more to find and nothing more to reach. Nothing lay beyond the sky, and nothing lay on the other side of the sea. There was nothing more. This was the limit, and one had to turn back.

But Waver didn't want to turn back. He didn't know how, but he'd come this far. He didn't know how he knew, but he knew that he'd been faced with many such 'truths' in the past, but had proven them all false in the end. There was more. There had to be more. Something lay beyond the sea, and on the other side of the sky. But what was it?

Go and find out.

"WAKE UP!" Rider thundered, and with a pathetic cry Waver literally jumped out of bed.

"Rider..." he complained as he sat on the ground and scratched his head. "…what are you…?"

"This is no time to be lazing around boy!" the Servant boomed, and Waver blinked. "The Sun's up and shining, and I just happened to come up with an idea to toughen you up! Hurry and get dressed! We've got a long way to go before digging into the storm Martha is whipping up for us!"

"Toughen…me up…?" he echoed with a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. He was right. He still didn't understand how, but somehow in less than ten minutes he was puffing and huffing as he struggled to keep up with Rider as they jogged around the neighbourhood and past the curious stares of the locals.

Or rather Rider jogged – all the while softly but cheerfully singing a Greek marching song – while Waver ran to keep up. "R-Rider…" he gasped. "…wait up…"

"Really now…" Rider observed as he paused and allowed Waver to catch up and catch his breath. "…you really need to look after your health you know. Even if you're a scholar, a strong mind will need a strong body to work its best."

"I'll try…from…now on…" Waver managed to gasp out, and Rider laughed with approval.

"That's the spirit!" he said as he stretched, and Waver worked up his courage as his thoughts finally caught up with his dream.

Oceanus…I saw Oceanus…that was Rider…my Servant's memories…

"Rider…" he began. "…I have to ask…"

"What…?"

"What…happens when you finally reach your destination?" he asked, and Rider blinked before looking down at him.

"What…?"

"I mean…" Waver fumbled with his words. "…when you have something you want you get, or somewhere you want to go…when you finally have it or get there, what then?"

"You go on." Rider replied as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"But…what if there's nothing more…"

"No." Rider denied firmly. "There is always something more. There is always something beyond the horizon." He said, and then he paused to smile knowingly at Waver. "You just have to go and find out what and where it is."

"I…" Waver whispered. "…I have to go…and see…"

What lies beyond the horizon?

"No matter what stands against you, no matter how difficult things may seem…" Rider continued. "…always keep moving forward. Don't ever stop trying to go forward. If you can't run, then walk! If you can't walk, then crawl! The journey only stops when you're dead! But as long as you are alive, then keep moving. Become more than what you are."

What's on the other side of the sky?

"I…" Waver whispered. "…I think…I understand…"

Rider smiled knowingly again. "Not yet…" he said. "…but it's a beginning. Now come on boy, we've only just started our morning run!"

Rider ran off, still singing that song of ancient times, and with an exasperated sigh Waver followed. "It's so stupid…" he thought to himself, seriously struggling to keep up but not realizing it. "…to go after something or trying to go somewhere just because. But…it feels so…alive to do just that."

Sola-Ui Nuada-Re Sophia-Ri gasped as she awoke, only to find herself strapped onto an operating table. Oh the irony…but wait, what about the battle? Where's Lancer?

"Oh good…" another woman's voice told her. "…you're awake." Sola's heart sank as the elfin beauty of the Servant of the Spell loomed over her. "You took quite a beating during the previous night. Fortunately your central nervous system was undamaged, so repairing and resuscitating you weren't too troublesome."

"I refuse to talk." Sola said defiantly. She would not betray Lancer, no matter how much she would be tortured. What about Kayneth though?

Hang Kayneth.

"Now, now…" Caster told her while patting her shoulder reassuringly. "…there's no need to be so hostile. In fact, let us…negotiate."

"Easy for you say, given that you have an advantage over me." She shot back, and Caster laughed with indulgent amusement.

"Oh you have spirit, I like that." She said gleefully. "But it seems that you're behind the times. Lancer and the Lord El-Melloi are both dead it seems. The former fell by Berserker's hand, and the latter by Emiya's."

Caster fell silent and watched with a certain degree of sympathy as Sola burst into tears at the news of Lancer's demise. It wasn't like she could judge, considering that if anything similar had happened to Sakura she'd burn Fuyuki to the ground as a funeral sacrifice before making the perpetrator beg for death. "Kill me…" Sola sobbed at her. "…Lancer's dead. I've nothing to live for."

Caster resisted the urge to palm her face. This was definitely not foreseen. She did however magically release some of Sola's straps to allow the other woman to sit up. "You're a magus, so think." Caster said dryly. "This is not the first Holy Grail War, nor will it be the last. You could participate in the next war, and summon your beau again."

Sola fell silent, and slowly looked at Caster, who recoiled slightly at the slightly-insane glint of her eyes. "Yes…" she said. "…I can do that. I can see Lancer again. Kayneth won't be there anymore. Yes…yes…"

Caster coughed primly. "Yes quite…" she said. "…but it seems that you now owe me a favour for giving you this chance to see him again."

Sola looked at her and sighed. "…alright, what do you want?" she said crossly.

Caster smirked and held up a familiar test tube: Volumen Hydragyrum. "I could probably work out all the details behind this in half a day…" she said. "…but not the intricacies of its use and construction. You were a confidante of the Lord El-Melloi were you not? Doubtless you can provide the appropriate information."

"You'll let me go afterwards?"

"You have my word." Caster said. Sola nodded and the last of her straps were released. "Now then, I suppose I should feed you first before we get to work. Come, I'm sure that our host has prepared or obtained lunch for us."

"Kaname-sensei is such a jerk." Yui complained that afternoon to Sakura while the two were buying ice cream after school. "He gave me a D for the day."

"You fell asleep in the middle of the exam." Sakura pointed out, and Yui winced at the reminder. "Of course he's going to give you a D." There was a step behind them, and the two turned to see a rather miffed Rin Tohsaka standing behind them. Sakura cringed. "Who's that?" Yui asked.

"That's my sister." She said while telepathically contacting her mother.

"You have a sister?"

"It's half-sister actually. It's complicated." Sakura answered, and Yui made the intended connection between single mother and daughter, plus being forced to live at a Buddhist temple.

"Sorry I asked."

"You lied to me." Rin told Sakura. Sakura tilted her head while receiving instructions from her mother.

"I lie to everybody. What makes you so special?" she responded, and Yui gagged on her ice cream. Did she just hear Sakura right? Wait…there was an unusual gleam in her eyes, so she's probably just playing…probably. Yui turned and nearly choked again at the sight of the older girl spluttering in indignation.

"I am your sister!"

"That just makes you more gullible." She retorted, and then she smiled sweetly before pushing her ice cream right in front of Rin's face. "Bite…?"

Rin blinked, completely wrong-footed, and then looked away. "No thanks."

"One bite isn't going to make you fat sis."

"Yes it will."

"No it won't."

"Yes it will."

"No it won't."

"Yes it will!"

"Yes it will."

"No it won't!"

…

…

…

"You tricked me!" Rin exploded as Yui and Sakura exploded into laughter.

"Well, it's just as mom says: the best time to trick people is when they're all worked-up." Sakura said faux-sagely, causing Rin to roar incoherently and proceeding to chase the two younger girls down the street.

A/N

Some character development in this chapter, and a bit of kids having fun. You'll all probably kill me for what's going to next so…

TBH I don't really understand what's Rin concerned about in canon about eating too much. She says it goes somewhere...where exactly does it go? Or is she just concerned about getting fat?