AN: I recently discovered Fate Stay Night. I'm torn about it. There's a bit too much grim derp dancing around, and Japan's weird take on simplified pop psychology always leaves me wondering if they just make shit up or if they've done a lot more research than most and I just don't know enough to recognize it. That said a few things twigged in my head and before I knew it I had a plot that made at least some sense. I hope… For all I know I've completely fucked it up. Like I said I'm not too clear on a lot of things about the setting.
So, this one is up for adoption. If anyone wants it please let me know. I've got a few ideas just to give Taylor a few little quirks that should separate her from Archer more that I'd like to offer, but otherwise I'm just hoping to give this one away to a good home.
Don't own worm, don't own Fate Stay Night. Hope you enjoy even if this one is a bit short.
With a gasp I pinwheeled my arms and tried to get my tired cramped legs under me properly. The locker was gone, the filth was gone, the whole fucking school was gone!
Looking around the scenery kept changing. One moment I was in a pure white room. The next I was in a massive library. Another moment passed and I was suspended in the black of space, stars winked back at me in the millions.
"That's quite enough of that, I think." A calm male voice spoke from behind me. As he finished speaking the surroundings changed one final time. Now I found myself in a perfectly normal if fancy sitting room. The centerpiece of the room was a small circular table set for tea with a chair on either side. Sitting in one chair already was a very tall man with white hair. He wore black body armor that showed off the kind of abs you could grate cheese on. He also wore some sort of red sleeves that covered his shoulders and were held together only by a large tied off string.
"Ah, Taylor. Please, take a seat." I could only stare wide eyed.
"I've gone crazy." I finally mumbled as I almost fell into the open chair. "The stress was too much and I finally snapped and went insane.
The man only shook his head and poured me a cup of tea. Without really looking I absentmindedly took a sip. The flavor was unlike anything I had tried before.
"It's oolong with jasmine." The man stated calmly. "As an American I realize you are likely more familiar with black tea, but I thought you might appreciate trying something new."
"It's delicious." It really was. Something about the flavor almost radiated peace and calm.
"I'm glad you like it. Now, to business. I am Counter Guardian Emiya. But please, call me Archer."
I licked my suddenly dry lips. I didn't really want to know where this was going I was still half convinced I was losing my mind. Still, I'd rather be here and insane, than sane and still trapped in my locker. Probably.
"Ok, Archer. I'm Taylor Hebert."
"Nice to properly meet you, Taylor." He said with a bit of a smile. "There is a great deal of information I need to explain to you. Unfortunately, we don't have a lot of time just yet so it's going to have to be the cliff notes version, for now. To be honest a lot of the details won't matter to you anyway."
I settled for simply sipping more of my tea.
"The broad strokes of it are that magic is real. If far more complicated than popular culture would have you believe."
Am I still crazy if my delusions sound crazy to me?
"Part of that means that both the planet earth and the general will of humanity are both… lets say aware, and capable of intervening. My job as a Counter Guardian is to intervene and destroy whatever might be threatening to end humanity. Usually that means certain groups of humans. But not this time. Let me show you something."
With a wave of his arm the room dissolved back into the expanse of space. Though the table, chairs and tea remained. Archer turned a bit and pointed. Following his finger, I saw them. Two massive shapes. Crystalline worms, spiraling around each other as they moved through the black.
"May I introduce to you, our enemy. They are beings unlike anything found on earth. On any earth. Their bodies are an insane fusion of crystalized magical energy and organic matter. They are also the source of what you call powers."
"What?!" I whipped my head away from the, things, to look at Archer. He never took his eyes off of them though.
"Indeed. They detach pieces of themselves, and the pieces settle on alternate versions of earth. Then they establish connections to humans through a pair of growths in the brain. Each shard is capable of a different kind of magical ability, and by providing power for, and allowing humans to use those powers they gather more data about the ability allowing the shards to refine themselves." He calmly explained.
"Then, when the creatures decide they have collected enough information. They convert the planet, every instance of the planet, and the systems star and other planets as well, into enough raw magic to replace what the shards used, and to rebirth themselves. Then they travel to another planet and begin the process anew."
I was shaking. I was terrified. What he was saying was insane. Utterly and completely insane! But with every word there was a bone deep chill and a certainty that he was telling me the truth.
"Were lucky. One of them, the intelligent one, is already dead. That alone makes what could have been impossible only extremely difficult. Honestly, I couldn't even guess what our odds are, but we at least have a chance."
"These things have done everything they can to limit us. They settled on an earth without mages, and they have done their best to keep the spirit of earth, and humanity, away from their true selves. Working together though, those two forces managed to hijack one of the shards. The shard that would have connected to you. They overwrote the thing and made it a vessel for me instead."
Finally, Archer turned to face me.
"My abilities, my power, my experience, and knowledge. All of that plus a source of magical power so large you likely couldn't deplete it in twenty lifetimes. And we are going to pit all that against the remaining entity."
The teacup in my hand shook violently as I placed it down on the table.
"Why me? What the hell makes me the best choice to try and stop that, thing!"
"Honestly? It could have been anyone. But that shard was chosen in part because it was a good match for my abilities, and in part because it looked for hosts who would, when motivated, fight even seemingly impossible battles. People who were creative enough to find unexpected solutions. People with drive to see their course of action through to the end. That's you, and like it or not that's what humanity needs right now."
"This is crazy." I whispered. "You're crazy, or hell maybe I'm crazy!" My voice got louder as I spoke. "The source of powers? Alien super worms who want to destroy everything? You want me to save the world!" I was shouting now. "I can't even deal with a few bullies! How the hell am I supposed to save the world?!"
Archer didn't say anything at first. He just stared at me with a serious look. Finally, he sighed and placed his tea cup back on the table.
"I'm truly sorry. I know this is a lot to take in. I know it isn't fair to you. But you are who we have to work with. You are the best and only shot we've got. When I volunteered for this there were already a handful of plans in the works for getting you some backup." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before refocusing on me again. "But those will take time to prepare. Some of them require our help to get started. A number of them are also the kind of plan that calls for sacrifices to be made. Even my being here is coming at a price."
"What do you mean?"
"I'm connected to you, and to the shard. The entire point of my presence here is to grant you my abilities… but those abilities are unique to me. Eventually, I'll be completely subsumed. Then you'll be all that's left. Albeit a you who has been heavily influenced by me. I will fade away until I die, and you will be changed."
"That's insane." I whispered. Then I started to shout. "I don't want to be changed! I don't want someone to die just so I can get some power! I just want, I want…" what did I want? For the trio to leave me the hell alone. For my life to not suck. For Dad to get his shit together and remember me. For Mom to never have died. For this insane mess to not be my problem.
"Such is the way things are. The world has need of you, humanity has need of you, and they don't bother to ask. All that is left is for you to adapt. There aren't any other options." He glanced to the side.
"Our time is up. You're starting to wake up. If you are still trapped I'll take over long enough to get you out."
"What are you" and then I was back in the locker still trapped. The brief break from the smell had let my nose recover slightly and now I was being hit with the stench all over again. I dry heaved for a moment before I felt my body leave my control.
"I was afraid this would happen." It took me a moment to realize that the voice I was hearing was my own. "Pay attention, Taylor. This is the basis for my entire style of combat. You'll need to learn how to do this, and the sooner the better."
I felt energy, power, flow through me. In my mind I could see a dusty series of hills illuminated by a setting sun. Everywhere embedded in the ground were blades. They numbered in the countless thousands. The scenery seamed to whip by until I saw a pair of crossed blades, short but wide, one black and the other white.
"Trace, on." The power surged and suddenly my hands were holding the two blades. In the blink of an eye my body still completely beyond my control moved and the locker door was cut off, falling to the ground with a clatter. My body stepped out of the filth. The swords faded away in particles of light… and I was back in control.
Funny, for hours I had only wanted out. Now I had my wish, and I had no idea what to do next. My body could be stolen from me at a moment's notice. I had powers I didn't even begin to understand. I had an older man riding shotgun in my fucking head who wanted me to save the world! For fucks sake I just, I just.
It was too much. My vision started to swim turning black around the edges. I couldn't seem to get enough air into my lungs no matter how much air I tried to take in. Then the floor was rising up to meet me as I fell forward.