Fate
STAY NIGHT
Alternative
Chapter 2
The Curtain Goes Down
2004, February 2, 20:40
Shirou was currently observing the shattered windowpane which he jumped through, alongside his schoolmate Rin Tohsaka. He had just survived a short scuffle with a being leagues above his own strength and summoned another one capable of fighting said being back with equal if not greater force. Tonight, has been a crazy night, and something tells Shirou that the craziness has not yet ended, not in the slightest.
"Jeez, what happened? This windowpane is completely smashed in!" Tohsaka looked the broken pane up and down. "Hey, that's not my fault! I was defending myself from that Lancer guy!" It was the truth, the painful truth. Jumping through the window was a better option than being skewered by the guy's spear again. "You fought with a Servant by yourself until you summoned Saber?" Tohsaka turned and asked him, surprised at the idea. "Hm, hardly. I could barely fight back." He replied, sending a side glance her way. Tohsaka blinked, "Hm, you're not even trying to brag about it." Why would he brag about almost dying…?
Twice?
"You're exactly how you look, super honest." Was that a compliment? Oh well, Shirou took it as one anyway. "Thanks." He replied, "Now can we please talk about this whole Holy Grail War stuff?" He really wanted to know what was going on in this town, whatever it was he was caught up in it and it nearly took his life.
Twice.
The two teens walked into the living room and sat around the kotatsu table, Shirou took the time to prepare some tea. While everything was crazy at the moment, his holy kitchen work took priority and he had a guest over as well, so the least he could do was have the proper accommodations. Tohsaka took a sip of the tea, before setting it down and looking over at Shirou. Saber sat beside him in a seiza position, no longer clad in her armour but in a blue dress.
"Now, let's get down to business." Tohsaka said as she gazed over at Shirou, "You have no clue what you've got yourself caught in, do you?" Shirou shook his head, he had absolutely no clue. Tohsaka continued, "To be totally blunt, you've been chosen by the grail to be a master. Have you noticed a stigmata somewhere on yourself?" Again, more terms to throw him off the loop. "Stigmata… ?" He echoed. "She means Command Spells, Shirou." Saber interjected, side-glancing at him. An image of red marks flashed through his mind, he raised his right hand and looked down at the marks imprinted onto his hands. "Oh… this?"
"Yes," Tohsaka nodded, "Those are the proof that you are a Master in this war. They are also spells that grant you control of your Servant, so if you still have at least one of those you can keep your Servant under control." Control, if I still have at least one?
"What do you mean 'If I still have at least one of them'?" Tohsaka sipped the tea once more before answering. "Command Spells are unbreakable orders, Spells that can force your Servant to obey even if it means bending them to your will." She explained.
Ah, right…
He looked down, he still had all of them one him. "However, you only get three Command Spells for the whole war, so you shouldn't waste them. You'll probably be killed if you use them all to soon-"
"What?!" Shirou exclaimed in shock, his eyes widening. "Wait-wait-wait, I'll be killed?!" He echoed the statement Tohsaka made, earning a shake of the head and an irritated sigh from the pigtailed girl. "Correct, The Holy Grail War is completely based around masters defeating other masters. The one who manages to defeat the other six wins the Holy Grail, an omnipotent wish granting cup."
Good god, what has he gotten himself into. Shirou calmed himself, steadied his breathing and sat down and processed the information that was just given to him. His brows furrowed as he remembered how Lancer and that red one were fighting back at the school. Tohsaka was with them, the red one is probably her Servant.
"You've been dragged into a ritual, Emiya. The Holy Grail War, fought by seven masters, a battle to the death between magi." Shirou shook his head as he raised his hand once more, gazing down at the Command Spells on his hand.
He looked up, eyes narrowing, "Do you expect me to believe this?" There it was - denial. Shirou couldn't stand the thought of a ritual where people have to kill each other over a cup, perhaps he was undermining the Holy Grail a bit there, but it still irked him. "I'm simply laying down the facts," She replied, "Besides, deep inside you actually know already, don't you?"
She was right and that irked him even more, he released a sharp breath, leaning back a bit as he stared up at his ceiling. "After all, you've nearly been killed by a Servant not once but twice." He winced at the reminder, the incident at the school briefly flashing by, "Convinced yet?"
Shirou was convinced, he adopted a grim expression. "I'm another magus chosen to be a master. Think of your Servant as a familiar granted to you by the Grail, to help you survive the war." Shirou glanced over at Saber, before reverting his gaze to Tohsaka.
"I'd rather not call her that, besides she doesn't look like one to me." He replied. "Well of course she doesn't, Servants are sort of like familiars, but they are truly super-human beings, Heroic Spirits from the past." Shirou in any other world would've been surprised at the information, but here had actually surmised that to be the case after witnessing the battle between Saber and Lancer.
"Cu Chulainn.. " He rolled the name out with some uncertainty, Tohsaka casting a surprised gaze at him. "Oh, you discerned Lancer's true identify?" She asked, Shirou shaking his head. "No, that was Saber, she figured it out after he used what I think you guys call a… 'Noble Phantasm'?"
Rin nodded, "Those are the special abilities of a Servant directly tied to their legend, think of it as a final attack. However, once the Noble Phantasm is used, it is much easier to figure out the true name of the Servant and any weaknesses they may have."
She then continued on, "It is the master's role to summon them, and once they are materialized the Grail helps them keep their physical forms. Servants are basically are always with you in spirit form and should the need arise, you can materialize them and make them fight on your behalf."
"So, the guy in red can switch from a material form to a spirit one at will." He surmised. "That's Archer, he's keeping watch outside for now-"
"Master." Archer's voice cut her off. Shirou noticed her pause, "Uh.. Tohsaka?" He blinked, probably wondering what was going on. "Just a moment, Emiya." She said, before glancing away from the Saber pair. "What's the matter Archer?" She replied mentally.
"Two individuals, females, approaching the Estate. One is brunette, the other one is blonde." Two people are on their way here, could they be masters? Having read her thoughts, Archer replied, "I do not sense any Servants nearby; however, I would not doubt the possibility." Rin's brows furrowed. "What's the matter, Tohsaka?" Shirou inquired, Rin turning back to look at him. "Archer just told me that two people are at the door, do you have visitors?" She asked, Shirou's expression morphing into surprise than… joy? "They're back!" He shot off from the table and towards the door, shocking Rin momentarily. "H-hey, Emiya-!" Shirou was already at the door and opened it up. At the doorway stood the brunette and blonde Archer notified her about.
Shirou seemed to know them, perhaps acquaintances, family maybe? They trio walked back to the living room and Rin noticed she hadn't thought of a plan during the entire time since Archer had notified her- she needed to come up with a valid excuse for her and Saber being here-!
The brunette stopped once she entered the room, a shocked expression dotted her face as she stared silently at Saber from across the room. Saber too, had the same expression on her as well. An uncomfortable pause followed, Shirou and the blonde looking back and forth between the two.
"Saber?"
"Maiya… ?"
Another pause, before Shirou interjected. "Uhm, do you two… know each other?" 'Maiya', did not respond immediately, instead continuing to stare in mutual shock with Saber. Maiya turned, glaring at Shirou. "Shirou, show me your hands, now." Shirou flinched before raising his hands up for her to see. Maiya pulled back his sleeves and observed the red marks on his left.
"Shirou, how did this happen?" Maiya interrogated the boy.
"Uh-erhm, I was staying late at the school doing my usual chores… I heard strange sounds coming from the courtyard and I went to investigate it. When I arrived, I saw two.. Servants, fighting each other, Tohsaka was with them-"
Faster than anyone could blink, Maiya spun around and whipped out a Thompson Contender, aiming it directly at the now startled Rin. "Why are you here, Tohsaka?" She was now interrogating her. "M-Maiya, calm down!" The blonde one and Shirou both shouted at the same time, Saber was up on her feet. "You are a Master in this war, your Servant is without a doubt somewhere nearby if not in this room right now, your very presence here threatens Shirou." She said, "So I'll ask again, Tohsaka."
"Why. Are. You. Here?"
Rin, feeling the intense pressure on her, quickly responded. "I- I came here to make sure Shirou was okay after I saved him from Lancer's attack back at the school, he doesn't know anything about war-"
"I know, his father and I wanted it to stay that way." Maiya interrupted her, "I see the tea pots on the table, he's treating you like a guest, were you going to explain the war to him?" Rin nodded furiously. Maiya lowered the Contender, the intense pressure in the room lifting and releasing everyone but Maiya from its suffocating grasp. Shirou let out a breath he didn't even know he was holding and sat down at the kotatsu, Saber doing the same.
"Your Servant, show them." She ordered; the gun was still loaded. After a few seconds, Archer materialized in the room, his arms crossed. Maiya's gaze hardened as he stared at the Archer. "Hm, you can send him away now." She said, lowering the gun to her side. "May I ask why you wanted to see me?" Archer asked, staring at Maiya with a calculating gaze. Maiya returned the gaze, "The last Tohsaka I fought had summoned Gilgamesh, if your master had done the same, she'd be dead."
The temperature in the room decreased to sub-zero levels at that statement, "Guess she is lucky I'm not Gilgamesh then." Archer replied. "Yes, she is." Rin on the other hand blinked as she processed what the brunette had said. "Last Tohsaka you fought? Gilgamesh.. ?"
Maiya looked down at Rin's seated form, "You're a smart girl, you can figure it out."
"You were in the war ten years ago… " Rin mumbled out, "Were you a.. mast-"
"No." Came Maiya's quick reply. "That was someone else's role."
A short pause filled the room, Rin coughed to get everyone's attention. "W-well, I believe we should go to the church so that Shirou can speak with the Overseer, to learn more about the war." Maiya didn't seem to reply, neither did Saber. "Alright then… let's go." Shirou responded nervously, not daring to look Maiya in the eye, she could be fiercely overprotective at times.
"Rebecca," Maiya turned to the blonde, "Stay here and look after the house, if Taiga comes by, just say we went out into town for dinner." 'Rebecca' shot Maiya a deadpanned look, "Shirou? Going out for dinner?"
Maiya shook her head, "Just make it sound believable." She turned for the door, "Let's go."
The war just took an interesting and rather terrifying turn for the pig-tailed magus right now. Shirou of all people is friends with a Holy Grail War veteran, at this point she should play her cards right…
2004, February 2, 21:00
FUYUKI CHURCH
"Why is Saber not coming with us?" Shirou glanced back at the hooded Saber who stood outside the gates. "She has been summoned to this time before, perhaps something happened between her and the fake-priest we're here to see." Rin answered, Maiya following behind the two teenagers. As they approached, Shirou had to ask, "What type of person is this priest?"
"A long time ago he was my father's apprentice, after my father died he became my guardian." Shirou adopted a solemn expression, feeling bad for her, "I suppose that makes him my senior disciple and second mentor."
Shirou's mind clicked as he thought about what she said, "Wait a minute, is the priest also a magus?" Rin nodded, "Like I said, fake priest." The three entered the church.
The interior was grand, decorated and ornate. Rows upon rows of seats lead up to a podium on which a man stood facing away from them.
As the door closed behind them, the man shifted, sending a side glance down the hall. Shirou noticed Maiya flinch, which worried him greatly since the woman was always strong and unflinching. "You never accepted my invitations to come by and now here you are with an odd guest… and a familiar face."
The priest turned and walked down the podium; an eerie smile plastered across his face. Shirou knew from the get-go that he did not like this man, nothing in the world irked him more than the man currently making his way towards them right now. "Is it right to assume he's the seventh, Rin?" He inquired, halfway across from them. He smiled, "My name is Kirei Kotomine, perhaps you will tell me your name."
"Shirou, Shirou E-" Maiya quickly covered his mouth. "You will tell him no more, Shirou." Maiya ordered, Shirou blinking in surprise, he did not want to question Maiya right now, she apparently is a veteran of this war and the most trustworthy person as well.
"Hm, it appears I'll just resort to referring to you as the seventh master." He still wore that damned smile on his face, "It is alright to keep secrets, especially during a Grail War."
"I take it then that, you are now Saber's master, correct?" Shirou nodded. "I made a pact with Saber, but all this stuff about Masters and Servants is…. strange to me," He said as he recalled the two battles he witnessed so far, "If a master is supposed to be a proper magus then, you've go to pick somebody else for you war."
"Yes, I see." Kotomine replied, "This is quite serious indeed." Rin took a step forward. "He knows nothing, you'll need to start from square one."
"Ah, very well." Kotomine turned, "This is the first time you've ever come to me for assistance." He said as he started… walking around? Shirou raised a brow, while this was menacing and eerie and all, it was still a strange thing to do. Nevertheless, he kept his gaze on the fake priest.
"Seventh Master Shirou. The status of Master can not be given to another, and once conferred can not be simply walked away from." Shirou cursed mentally, so he really had no choice but to take part in this murder fest battle royale featuring legends from the past?
Why was he chosen for this? He had nearly died twice, he pretty much stood no chance against these things, he wasn't really a good magus so why was he chosen? He had 'fought' the likes Cu Chulainn, Ireland's Child of Light, what was going to be next, King Arthur?
He heard a ping in the back of his mind causing him to pause, it felt like someone had been shocked or surprise in his mind, ...come to think of it didn't Rin pause and say Archer told her something? He certainly didn't hear the guy-
"Shirou, stop spacing out." Rin nudged him. "O-oh right, sorry." Kotomine chuckled and continued. "Being a master is a trial for those who have been chosen, young Shirou. You will not be freed from the burden until you win the grail." Maiya's gaze hardened deeply, worrying Shirou. "Now listen carefully, the battle you now find yourself caught up in is known by all involved as the Holy Grail War."
Shirou scowled, "The messed-up battle were seven people fight to the death, is that what you mean?" Kotomine's gaze landed on firmly on him. "It is a battle to see who is worthy of holding the Grail."
Ohohoho, hold on there buddy. "Now wait, this Holy Grail you guys keep talking about. Are we talking about the Holy Grail, last supper Holy Grail?" Shirou asked. "The Grail that appears in this city is the genuine article, young master. For proof you shouldn't look further than the miracles of the Servants and Heroic Spirits that inhabit them."
"A Holy Grail capable of that will surely grant the Master who claims limitless power, the item's authenticity is irrelevant in the face of such a fact." Shirou still remained skeptical, grant limitless power to the winner?
"Why do people have to fight over it, can't it be shared among everybody?" He was trying to hopeful, trying to not have to go through a bloody war like this. "A fair opinion, but only one person may be allowed to claim and use the Grail." Was Kotomine's reply, "The Grail itself chose that."
That had stunned Shirou, his eyes widening slightly at such a revelation. "The Grail… chose?"
Maiya's scowl grew deeper, her eyes narrowing.
"The Grail selects it's true master by having the seven magi fight over it, that is the Holy Grail War." Silence followed, Shirou was not convinced, not in the slightest.
"I am not convinced, even if it were true, I can not stand the fact that the winner has to resort to killing all the other participants." Rin was about to step in, but Maiya beat her to it. "You don't have to kill the other masters, Shirou."
Kotomine adopted a scowl of his own as his gaze shifted to Maiya, "It is a fight do the death-"
"There is no rule stating that it has to be so." Rin interjected, "Listen to me, the Holy Grail that appears in this town is a spiritual object, it relies on the Servants killed over the course of the war to be fueled and to eventually grant the wish."
"Shirou, may I ask you a question? Do you think that you are even capable of fighting a Servant?" Once again, he recalls his scuffle with Lancer, to be honest he did hold up quite well, unfortunately his skills with a sword need some more work. "Servants are quite difficult to deal with, even if you have your own alongside you. So, how does one prevail… the answer is obvious-"
"Silence yourself, Kotomine." Maiya cut in, the priest turning to her with a raised brow. "Oh please, dear. You yourself know this to be true, you have gone through this yourself." Maiya growled, this was the most emotion Shirou had seen her show. "It is simple, is it not? No matter how clever or powerful the Servant, if the master ceases to be alive the Servant vanishes with them. In which case… " Kotomine smiled once more.
"The fastest way is to kill the master." Shirou finished, Maiya's scowl shifting to her more traditional stoic one as she looked at Shirou, however, her eyes showed the slightest bit of concern. "Exactly." Kotomine said.
"What if the Servant dies first? Only Servants can touch the Holy Grail, right?" Shirou was once again being hopeful, trying to search for reasons to avoid the pointless deaths of others in pursuit of a cup, "A master who lost his Servant no longer has any value in the war."
"No." Shirou flinched at the finality in that response, gone was the smile on Kotomine.
"As long as their Command Spells remain so does their right as a master. They stills has a chance at the Grail if they teams up with a Servant who has lost their master. And it is for that reason, that masters kill masters."
"Alright then… what I used all my Command Spells right now?" Shirou said, raising his left hand. Maiya's eyes widened slightly, "No, Shirou."
"Wait no, don't do that!" Rin interrupted. "As you said, your rights as a master would indeed be lost… " Kirei said, nodding, "Although, I can not imagine a magus using something so powerful as Command Spells in a manner so wasteful and immature."
"If there were one, you'd be an ignorant novice or a coward unworthy of the craft." Shirou flinched back at the venom laced with that insult, earning a chuckle from the priest. "Have I convinced you? Then let us go back to the beginning, Seventh Master."
"If you insist on forfeiting your right as Master, you may do so. Simply use up your Command Spells and break your pact with Saber. Should you choose that path, I shall guarantee your safety until this war comes to an end."
"That. Will not be necessary." Maiya spoke up, "That is the last thing I'll ever allow, Shirou remains by my side and there is no say in it otherwise." Kirei turned to Maiya once more with a raised brow. "I will not allow this boy anywhere near you unless I'm right beside him," She turned to Shirou, "Is that clear?"
Shirou nodded furiously, "Y-yes ma'am!"
"You needn't worry, Maiya Hisau." He caught her attention, "I was dispatched to this city to officially oversee the series of Holy Grail Wars, safeguarding the magi who are no longer masters… is one of the Overseers top priorities." Kotomine added. "Series… ?" Shirou echoed that statement. "This war is the fifth, the previous one was ten years ago."
"Ten years ago,… wait." Shirou's eyes widened in horror as floodgates opened in his mind, memories of fire and death clouded his thoughts. He felt nauseous, he placed the palm of his hand against his head as he paced backwards before stumbling against the seat to his left. Maiya rushed to his side, "Shirou?"
"Hm, is there something you recall?" Kotomine asked, Maiya glaring up at him. "The-the fire… tell me, has anybody won the war before?" Shirou gazed up at Kotomine, sweat drops running down his face.
Kotomine's smile grew larger, "In the last Holy Grail War, an unworthy master touched the Grail. I have no clue what the master wish for… only the destruction that followed-"
"NO!" Shirou shouted, his eyes widening, "No, that can't be… you're telling me that the Grail War-?!"
Kotomine interrupted him, "Indeed, the Fuyuki Fire is the aftermath of that Holy Grail War." He clarified it, he confirmed it. It is true, Shirou can't.. will not deny it. To deny it would be to disrespect the souls that had died that day instead of him. Shirou's breaths grew heavier as the images flashed faster and faster, the faces of those turning into ash engraved into his mind- the charred corpses, the smell- the heat- the walls of flame the death the screams the plea's the-
SCREAMS FIRE DEATH FLAMES ASH CRIES HEE-E—E E E-E LP
"Shirou!" Maiya slapped him, knocking him out of his chaotic stupor, he gasped for air, clutching his beating heart. "One man has once held the Grail however briefly." Kotomine said.
"Did.. did-did he get his wish, what happened to him?" Shirou's pained gaze was locked on the eerie smiling face of Kotomine. "Nothing at all," He answered, "It seems that Grail did not achieve full completion, the result of a foolish man who let sentiment get the better of him."
"Making the Grail appear is trivial, once the seven Servants are gathered, the Grail will appear in time." He continued, "As young Rin says, it is not necessary to slay the enemy Masters, but unless you do so will not be complete." Those words stung him, it went against everything he stood for, it went against his dream. "It chooses the magus worthy to command it's unlimited power, that is why this man who avoided fighting did not officially win the war."
"Even if you do win the war, it's pointless if you don't finish of all the other masters." Rin commented, "The master who got his hands on the Grail in the last war was weak-"
A heavy click echoed across the church as the Tohsaka heir found herself once more at gunpoint, "One more word about him, Tohsaka, say one more word." Was the terrifying and cold words that rolled out of the former-assassin's tongue, freezing everyone in place. "Maiya Hisau, it is against the rules of the war to fight within the church-"
The gun was then pointed at Kotomine, "Shut up, Bastard…. " A long pause followed, before she Maiya lowered the gun. "You aren't worth the shot… " She muttered.
"Maiya.. ?" Shirou mumbled, concerned for his caretaker.
"Y-you're crazy." Rin commented before flinching under Maiya's gaze. "And you're a Tohsaka, one of the most least trustworthy people around Shirou right now." She shot back.
Kotomine chuckled, "Certainly an interesting set of participants this time around, I have said everything I needed to."
Shirou looked down, the burden placed upon his shoulders was heavy, but then again he was ready to carry the mantle of Hero of Justice… and that surely was a burden heavier than most.
He thought of his situation he was now in, how quickly everything around him had changed, he had woken up this morning thinking it would be an ordinary day, but then all this happened.
It was inescapable, this war was inescapable, Fate is denying him an easy exit, everything is stacked against him. He has one choice, he needs to participate in this war, if the Grail is what caused the fire in the end… he can not allow anybody to get a hold of it. That thing is a danger to all, he will need to participate in this war and fight alongside Saber.
He'll need to win the Holy Grail War.
"You need to decide right now, whether you'll participate in the Holy Grail War, Seventh Master." Kotomine spoke up, placing his hands behind his back.
A pause followed, Maiya and Rin staring at him, awaiting his answer.
…
"You ought to be rejoicing boy, the wish in your heart will be realized. Surely you must understand by now, that your wish will not come true without a clear and distinct villain. Even if you refuse to admit yourself, a Hero of Justice, must have a villain to defeat." Kotomine said, casting a smile at the boy, "Without that… all your battles will be meaningless." Shirou sent a side glance at the man, his brows furrowing deeply before turning back and walking towards the gate.
As Shirou and Rin walked back towards Saber, Maiya stopped halfway and shifted her gaze to the priest. "Tell me, dear Maiya Hisau. How is Kiritsugu?" He asked, noticing her scowl deepen. "One of them has already been taken away from me, priest. If you lay a single finger upon Shirou, I'll make Ryuunosuke Uuryu's artwork look like a joke." She turned, walking towards Shirou.
Kirei Kotomine merely smiled, before turning around.
"Shirou… are you done?" Saber asked. "Yeah… I am." Saber noticed how… dead his voice sounded as compared to before, his whole demeanor was quite different than to how it was before, what happened while they were in there. "And… ?" Saber inquired, Shirou turning to look at her eye-to-eye. "I've decided… I'm going to fight as a Master in this war." He said, his expression hardening, "I need to know if you consent, serving somebody like me."
Saber smiled, shaking her head, "My consent is irrelevant, Shirou. You have been my Master from the start, did I not swear a solemn oath to you? That I would be your blade."
Shirou managed a smile of his own, "Right.. thanks." He raised his arm for a handshake, "Saber, fight with me until the end, fight with me until we reach the Holy Grail" Saber paused, a momentary look of surprise on her face.
"I'll be counting on you." Saber blinked, looking up at Shirou, "What's wrong, you don't want to shake hands?" He asked, Saber shaking her head. "No, it's not that, I- I was simply not expecting it, I was startled." Their hands met, "I will fight with you Master, so long as you have Command Spells, I'll be your trusted blade."
If the Holy Grail was the reason behind the fire that claimed so many innocent lives ten years ago, then Shirou will win this war so that nothing like that can ever happen again.
The group were making there way down the street, it had gotten awfully late so the first thing Shirou would do was sleep… if he didn't he'd suffer the combined might of Rebecca and Maiya. As they walked, Tohsaka suddenly came to a stop. Shirou and the others also came to stop
"Something wrong, Tohsaka?" He asked, Tohsaka turning around to face them. "No offense, but you should go home by yourself." She said, causing Shirou to have a double take.
"Huh.. ?" What is she talking about, why? "I brought you here to see the Overseer of the war, because you weren't officially my enemy yet." Maiya tensed, her eyes narrowing on the pigtailed girl, "But now, you're a fellow master." Shirou sighed, so that was what she was talking about…
"That may be true, but I have no intention of fighting you." He replied, he felt Maiya's gaze on him once more, causing shivers to run up his spine. "Ah… I should've known." Tohsaka sighed, rubbing her forehead, "What was I thinking, why did I even bring him here.. "
"Rin." A disembodied voice called out, a blue haze appearing beside the girl. Archer appeared; arms folded as his gaze landed on Shirou. "What is it?" Tohsaka questioned, looking over at the red bowman. "If an enemy is easy to slay, then we ought to do so."
Maiya instantly had the Contender aimed at Tohsaka, again. "Again?!" Shirou exclaimed, taking a step to the side, Saber as well prepared for combat. "L-listen, I don't want to right now, alright?"
Archer scoffed, "You are so difficult." He said, vanishing. Maiya lowered the weapon once more, easing the Tohsaka Heir. "You know.. you're a nice person when you really want to be." Shirou complimented her, gaining the girl's attention. "Flattery won't get you nowhere, I'm still your enemy. Starting tomorrow we will not be all buddy-buddy."
"I know that, but I don't want us to be enemies if I can at all help it." He answered with a warm smile, "See, I really like people like you." He said as he turned around. "Shirou, let's leave." Maiya said.
He nodded, waving at Tohsaka, "See you around." The three started to walk away but then-
"So… are you done talking yet?" A childish voice called from down the street, Shirou followed the source of voice until his eyes landed on a young girl with beautiful white hair-
His motions ceased, so did Maiya's for that matter. "That's.. Berserker!" Rin called out, noting the tian of a man standing behind the girl, dwarfing her entirely. Red, piercing eyes glared towards them.
Shirou stared at the girl in disbelief, nearly stumbling back. "That's her." An Image of a girl with snow-white hair, a girl embracing his father and a woman beside them appeared in his mind. "Good Evening, Brother." The girl said, now Tohsaka wore an expression of disbelief as she looked back and forth between the two.
"Illya." Shirou said, his hands balling it fists as the two were locked in each other's gazes. "So, you know my name," She smiled, "How is that?"
"Our father told me about you and Irisviel, before he died." Illya's eyes widened, so he had truly died. "How long ago was it?" She asked, Shirou grimacing as he looked to the side.
"Almost four years ago, he's buried nearby." Illya nodded, before turning around. "I'll be seeing you around, brother." Shirou nodded, watching her leave.
"Illya!" He called out, the girl turning around to look at him once more. "Don't be a stranger, let's talk… sometime." The girl smiled brightly, nodding before turning and walking off into the darkness. Tohsaka looked like her brain was about to explode, she looked back and forth between were Illya once was and Shirou.
"You have a sister?!" Tohsaka pointed at him, her eyes wide like saucers. Shirou nodded, "I'm adopted, she's my father's biological daughter." He explained, "Her name is Illyasviel von Einzbern."
Tohsaka stopped, horror dawning on her face, "von Einzbern." She mumbled, echoing the name profusely before grasping her head with both hands and ducking into a fetal position. "The Einzberns have a Berserker and she is your sister… ?"
Shirou scratched the back of his head, "Again, I'm adopted."
Saber on the other hand was having a meltdown larger than Tohsaka's, for different reasons, however.
"Come on, let's leave. Rebecca will mostly destroy the kitchen due to boredom if we don't get back fast enough." That got Shirou's attention, he sent a quick glance to Maiya before looking back at Tohsaka. "Alright Tohsaka, we have to go, see you tomorrow bye!" He sprinted off down the street, Maiya following closely behind.
Saber shook herself out of her stupor and followed suit, leaving Tohsaka to her breakdown.
2004, February 2, 21:15
Matou residence
Sakura Matou awoke.
She was in her bed, alone in her dimly lit room. The silence that inhabited her room would seem eerie and uncomfortable for many, but for her it was a lullaby. She slowly got up, and as she did so, a jolt of pain flashed across her mind. She winced, placing a hand upon her forehead.
"Master." A voice, seemingly floating in the air, called out to her. She glanced to the side, "Rider, please call me Sakura." She asked quietly, her Servant heard her, however. "If that's what you wish, so be it. Sakura, the boy you adore so much has summoned a Servant." Rider said, effectively shocking Sakura. "What… ?" She muttered, her breath shaking. "He summoned the Servant Saber, Shinji… and I will be confronting them a few days from now"
Shirou has summoned a Servant… no, that can't be right. She wanted him as far away from this bloody war as possible, and here was participating!?
"Please… don't hurt him." She pleaded; silence was filling the room for a brief moment. "I can't guarantee the boy's safety, I'm sorry Sakura."
Sakura fell into a state of despair, soon enough they would no longer be able to speak through their mental link. The tome that Shinji had with him would dominate her role as a Master and control Rider. She lay back down, closing her eyes.
"Please be careful… Shirou."
Saber was having a rough night, the events that transpired so far had really done a number on her in terms of revelations. One such revelation was that her master was the son of Emiya, Kiritsugu Emiya, her previous master from the Fourth Holy Grail War. Despite sharing the same name, Shirou was widely different from his father in terms of personality.
Whilst Kiritsugu was cold and brooding, Shirou seemed more outgoing and joyous. What had her even more concerned was how somebody like Kiritsugu could move on so quickly from his previous family, what had been his motivation?
At first she believed that Kiritsugu had abandoned Illya after the Fourth War and married somebody else and had Shirou, but that didn't add up considering that the year was 2004, a whole ten years since the previous war. Kiritsugu wouldn't have that much time to raise Shirou from birth, then she settled on Shirou being adopted which turned out to be true as said by the boy himself when they encountered Illya-
Illya, the girl is a master here too, Kiritsugu and Irisviel's daughter is a master in this war and she may have to fight her-!
That was when she noticed how… casually Shirou and Illya had been talking to each other, despite the calmness the two held she knew that they were inches away from breaking down right then there.
Saber glanced down at Shirou's sleeping form, he was resting quietly despite all the things that happened to him tonight. She pitied him, he was dragged into a war he had no business in by accident and now he is being forced to fight or die.
She did admire his bravery; he swore an oath to her that he'd win the Holy Grail War… to make sure what happened in the last war wouldn't happen again.
But that proclamation left her to think, why did the fire happen?
She knew very well that as much as she didn't like him, Kiritsugu would never wish for something like that, it went against his ideals, ideals he lived by. Someone else must've wished something upon the Grail that caused that fire.
"Is that why you wanted me to destroy it… Kiritsugu?" Perhaps it was, to prevent such a tragedy from passing. If that were the case, Saber can forgive Kiritsugu… but right now It was uncertain, and it would probably remain so until the end of the war.
She heard the door slide open, there at the doorway stood Maiya who was now dressed in a black kimono. "I see he's fallen to sleep peacefully." Maiya whispered, looking down at Shirou. "Indeed." Was Saber's reply.
A pregnant silence followed, the two having nothing to say for a moment.
"You want answers, do you?" Maiya deduced, looking at Saber's face filled with conflict, "Step outside, we'll talk." Maiya left the doorway, Saber following her.
Once they were in the garden, Saber turned to Maiya. "What happened, after the war?" She asked. "After the war had ended, Kiritsugu saved Shirou and later adopted him. He revealed to the boy that he was a magus and started raising him. The Einzberns banned Kiritsugu from the castle and kept Illyasviel away from him, me and him made numerous attempts to rescue her."
Saber felt relief, Kiritsugu hadn't abandoned her. "A year after the war, I introduced myself to the boy alongside Rebecca Aimesoire, a magus hailing from France." She continued, "All three of us started training the boy in magecraft, Kiritsugu was initially adamant about not teaching Shirou, stating that the Moonlit World is something he doesn't want Shirou to enter"
"That's why he has no knowledge of the Grail War… " Saber said, receiving a nod from Maiya. "Correct, all three of us attempted to keep him away from the war but it seems Fate had other plans." Maiya replied, "Despite the rather ordinary family like life we led for the past 9 years, we still kept tabs on magi across Fuyuki."
Magi still lingered in Fuyuki… ?
"Sakura Matou and Shinji Matou, the former being Shirou's friend, are the grandchildren of Zolgen Makiri. It is highly likely that either of the two are masters in this war." Maiya said, "I pity the girl, she seems too timid and kind to ever consent to fighting the war."
"I see… " Saber said.
A pregnant silence followed.
"We can continue the talk tomorrow… right now I want to fix up the damage done to this house so that Taiga doesn't get suspicious." Maiya said, turning. "Also, Saber." She sent a side glance at Saber… a smirk forming on her face?
"Hope you're ready for school."
2004, February 3, 7:05
FUYUKI, EINZBERN CASTLE
"I cannot approve of this," An authoritarian voice spoke up, the voice belonging to one Sella, a caretaker and maid for Illyasviel, "You could've beaten both of them!"
Illyasviel von Einzbern made her way towards the bath, a smile adorning her lips. "And yet you allowed them to simply escape?" Sella was very mad, however Illya had a good reason for not turning Shirou and the Tohsaka girl into a red and flatten pile of gore on the ground.
She had a change of heart five years ago, a revelation thanks to her late father. Her father came for her, blew open a side of the Einzbern castle in Germany and managed to meet her one last time. He told her about the world outside, how he had saved somebody from the fire… a boy.
The lies Jubstacheit fed to her suggested that Kiritsugu had abandoned her, betrayed her mother and left her for some brat in Fuyuki, but the day Kiritsugu tore hell through the Einzbern halls changed her perspective.
She of course continued to act like she hated Kiritsugu and by extension Shirou so that Jubstacheit wouldn't grow suspicious of her true motives. To the Einzberns, she wanted revenge, but what she really wanted was a chance to meet the brother Kiritsugu spoke of and maybe, just maybe… -
Her thoughts were cut off as Sella berated her.
Illya scoffed, "Killing them right away would be no fun, chase the rabbit until it can run no more and then kill it when it's terror is at it's peak." Sella continued on, "But miss, the boy is but a novice in magecraft from what we've seen, using Berserker to dispose him and his Saber would been good enough!"
Illyasviel stepped into the bath, sinking deeper into it. "That isn't a problem, with Berserker's Noble Phantasm, it will be hard for them to kill him." She replied, glancing back at Sella and Leysritt. "I don't understand miss, do you feel pity for Shirou Emiya?"
Of course, she does, why wouldn't she?
"Of course, I do… I know what's in store for him."
2004, February 3, 8:00
?
Swords, as far as the eye can see. A barren waste land filled to the brim with blades of all shapes and sizes, impaled into the ground like gravestones. An opaque mist was blanketed the ground, the sky above frozen in a state of evening.
Despite the dreariness of the world, he thought it was beautiful, he felt oddly at home in this gloomy world… but why?
He felt the world shift, the winds grew heavier and more furious as it began to break… something was straining it!
Fire, a wall of flame quickly approached from the far horizon, the sky behind it darkening and the clouds diving to an ashen colour- It was upon him, the flames were about engulf him- just like they nearly did ten years ago-!
He awoke with a gasp, his eyes widening as he quickly glanced around his surroundings. He was in his room; it was all just a dream… a strange one. He calmed himself down, what was that place… why was there.. what was going on-?
"You're finally awake."
Shirou shot back like a rocket, rivaling a Servant in speed-
He crashed into the wall, letting out a yelp of pain. "G-gah! What the hell?!" He looked up to see who was sitting directly above him. Rebecca stared at him with slightly widened eyes as her mouth hung open.
The two simply looked at each other.
The silence was broken by Rebecca falling onto her back and into a fit of giggles, "Ohohoho, Oh mon dieu!" She slapped her knees, "What type of reaction is that?" She sat up, pointing at Shirou whilst snickering. Shirou stood there with a gaping mouth, blinking as his mind tried to start up. "A-ah, why were you right on top of me!?" He pointed a finger back at her.
"Why I wanted to see how my little Shirou was, after I was briefed on everything that happened last night… I can't just leave you by yourself eh?"
Shirou raised his hand to counter but found nothing in his mind to counter with. Rebecca held a victorious smile, puffing her chest, "And so I, Rebecca Aimesoire, claim victory over young Emiya."
"What the- this wasn't a competition!" Shirou shouted back. "Well… I made it one, now let's get down to breakfast okay?" She said, standing up and heading for the door, a smirk on her face for whatever reason he didn't want to know, "Maiya has some news for you.. "
Shirou felt shivers run up his spine.
Shirou walked in, finding breakfast already made and sitting on the table. Saber and Maiya were sitting around the kotatsu and waiting for them to arrive. "Good morning, Shirou. I trust that you slept well?"
"I did, but the waking up part was less than stellar." He replied, shooting an irritated glance at the smirking Rebecca, curse her and her Ufufufu-ness, he hoped he would not encounter someone else like her.
Somewhere, a Luviagelita Edelfelt sneezed.
"Shirou, we've discussed what we are going to do for the duration of war, I hope you understand that the conclusion we've come to is final and you can not say otherwise." Maiya said, getting right to the point. Shirou began to sweat, "Uh… what's up?" He asked.
Maiya set her hands on the table, quite dramatically too. "Saber is to enroll in Homurahara Academy as a temporary transfer student hailing from England and be with you at all times, that means same classes as well." Shirou's perception of the world shattered.
"Excuse… me?" Was all he could say, Maiya sighed. "She'll be posing as Rebecca's cousin; her name will be Charlotte Aimesoire." She said, "Don't pretend to not know her, you two met just yesterday… which you did, am I understood?"
Shirou stared at her, before chuckling, "Funny joke, Maiya but-"
"If you don't go through with this, I'll be cooking dinner tonight."
"Okay, okay fine, I understand!" Shirou quickly fell onto his knees, "Just don't touch the kitchen!" He pleaded with all his heart. "Good, Saber." Maiya glanced towards the Servant, "You don't have to be friends with everybody, your objective is to stick with Shirou at all times… if he excuses himself to the toilet-"
"Can I at least have some toilet privacy?!" Shirou exclaimed, slamming his hands onto the kotatsu. Maiya paused, before shrugging, "Alright, except if he goes to the toilet." Saber nodded.
Then something popped in his mind.
"Wait, why are we doing this? I thought Servants could go to spirit form whenever they wanted to." Maiya looked back at Shirou, "The problem is, according to Saber, the incomplete last-second summing you pulled off last night basically made her incomplete. To put it simply, she is incapable of turning to her astral form for the entire duration of the war." Maiya explained.
"Oh… sorry Saber." He sent an apologetic gaze towards Saber, who shook her head. "Think nothing of it, Shirou. It is not your fault that you got caught in this situation."
"Alright, that is everything set for now, get ready for school Shirou." Shirou nodded at Maiya's orders, nobody dared to say no to her… not even Rebecca or Taiga, that woman was scary.
A ringtone caught everyone's attention, "I'll get it." Shirou walked towards the phone and answered. "Good morning, this is the Emiya Residence."
"HEY THERE SHIROOOU~!"
Loud? Check.
Obnoxious? Check.
He released a sigh, so did Rebecca and Maiya at the exact same time he did. "Fujimura here~! She just really couldn't tone it down, could she? "Fuji-nee?" He sometimes wondered how the woman could have so much energy during the morning, "What do you want? I'm a little busy now-"
"SO AM I!" Came the loud response over the call, causing Shirou to wince and retract the phone from his ear, "That's why I'm calling! I've decided to give up my day off to look after my students while their practicing, so here's your mission! Pack up some food for me and deliver to the Archery Club dojo A.S.A.P!"
Shirou sighed, pinching his nose. "NOW MOVE!" She hung up.
Silence filled the Emiya Residence, it remained so until Maiya spoke up. "So… ? What are you waiting for, move." Shirou went straight to work.
2004, February 3, 8:30
FUYUKI, HOMURAHARA ACADEMY
"I really can't believe we're doing this… " Shirou muttered as they approached the Archery Club dojo, he scratched the back of his neck as he grew ever more nervous. "What's the matter, Shirou?" Saber asked. "It's just that, if people see me walking around with you, they're going to over-react." That earned a raised brow from Saber, she side glanced towards him. "How so?" Shirou sighed. "When they find out that me, the supposed Fake Janitor of Homurahara Academy is walking around with a girl from a foreign country… rumours start circulating and they soon get really ridiculous."
Saber blinked, "What sort of rumours?" She asked. "Stuff like- uhm, us being in a relationship?" Shirou said, a flush of red appearing on his cheeks. Saber blinked again, "Them thinking that may prove advantageous for us, it does not arouse as much suspicion from normal people." She replied, earning a surprised stare from Shirou.
"What.. ?" Saber looked on at him in confusion. Shirou quickly shook his head, "N-nothing, let's just deliver this food." Saber nodded before coming to a sudden stop. Now it was Shirou's turn to ask her what was wrong, "What's the matter?"
Saber glanced around, her eyebrows furrowing. "I sense mana residue here; it's feels odd but doesn't seem lethal." Shirou nodded, "I guess we ought to be extra careful."
They continued on towards their destination.
Once they arrived, the expression of surprise that was on Sakura's face when she went to greet Shirou was quite funny, he got a little bit of a chuckle out of it. "Hey," He said as walked in, "Don't mind me, I'm just here to deliver a package." He lifted the box of food up, "Can you uh.. tell Fuji-nee that I'm here?"
Sakura seemed to ignore that question as she leaned more to the right to get a better look at Saber, who was standing outside the dojo. She quickly glanced over at Shirou and pieced together what he was here for. "Oh! Right, sure!" Sakura quickly ran back to inform Taiga, passing by Ayako Mitsuzuri who came around the corner.
"Boy, you're our saviour!" She exclaimed with a smile, "I heard that you brought her some lunch. Miss Fujimura is a real handful; she gets high-strung when she's hungry!" Shirou chuckled as he sat down. "Why didn't you guys check to see if she had lunch this morning?" He asked, "I'd honestly consider that a top priority."
Ayako let out a nervous chuckle as she scratched the side of her head, "Well.. I guess I was really tired today." Shirou seemed to get an idea of what she was really talking about and shook his head. "Is it Shinji again, where is he today?"
Ayako shrugged, "Playing hooky, busy with a new girlfriend I'm guessing." She then broke into a smile as she leaned forward into Shirou's face, "Okay now spill it, Shirou! Who's the chick who was with you up front? She was gorgeous! Friend of yours?"
"E-erhm, She's a transfer student from England; Charlotte Aimesoire." Ayako blinked. "Aimesoire, as in physical education teacher Rebecca Aimesoire, Aimesoire?" She asked, Shirou nodding in reply, "Well they do look a lot alike, what a small world."
"Yeah… " He replied.
Wait.
"Was.. ?" He echoed as he turned to the doorway – Saber was gone.
Shit.
Shirou quickly shot up and ran out to the doorway, he looked left and right. "Sorry Ayako but I gotta go!" He said, leaving the girl behind.
Ayako shrugged, "Can't wait to see how the school reacts to this." She smiled as she turned back around.
Saber was currently investigating the mana residue she had previously felt, she walked through the school halls, checking her surroundings carefully. On face value, the school would seem normal, but to her it was far from so.
Something dotted the school; mana was being exuded from whatever it was. It wasn't much of a stretch to assume that there was or still is a master present in the school, a classmate of Shirou perhaps?
Speaking of which, Maiya had mentioned last night the one of the Matous is a friend of Shirou, Sakura was it? She'll need to speak with Shirou on the possibility being one of those two, maybe even both.
She rounded a corner, just in time to find a man stepping out of a room. She came to a stop, gazing at the man silently, the man turned and faced her.
The two observed each other, evaluating one another.
The air in the hall grew tense.
The man squinted as a familiar boy came running from behind her, "Charlotte!" He heard the boy shout. It was Shirou Emiya, one of his students. "Charlotte, don't run off like that!" He chastised the her, Saber quickly sent him an apologetic look. Shirou looked over at the man, "Mr. Kuzuki!" He had noticed the man.
Mr. Kuzuki now focused on Shirou, "Shirou Emiya." Shirou seemed to flinch under the man's hardened gaze, "She's a transfer student coming from England, I'm just giving her a tour of the school-"
"We've never had a foreign student attend this school." Kuzuki rebutted.
"Do not worry, Mr. Kuzuki, the principal has the documents proving this." A cheery voice came from around the corner. Shirou and Saber turned to see Rebecca leaning against the wall, "Of course I would know about this, the girl is my little cousin after all."
Mr. Kuzuki's eyes narrowed before he started turning around, "If she enrolls here she'll be a curiosity, take care. If she's a friend, keep an eye on her." He said as he walked away from the three. Once Kuzuki was gone, Rebecca released a sigh. "You guys need to be more careful"
"Come on" She continued, "Let's talk."
They moved into another room, one where they could talk without interruption.
"Shirou, Rebecca. About that instructor we just ran into… " Saber began, Shirou quickly jumped to conclusions. "Did you sense something off about Mr. Kuzuki?" He asked. Saber shook her head, "Not necessarily, I sensed no magic from him… but he strikes me as a man with many secrets." She explained looking to the side as her eyes narrowed in thought.
"I'd be really shocked with Mr. Kuzuki turned out to be a magus." He said, "But what do you mean he struck you as a man with many secrets?" He inquired, Saber shifting her gaze to him once more. "His breathing was exceedingly natural and fully composed, quite frankly… I was rather Impressed with him." She said, "Even his walking was efficient."
"I could tell." Rebecca commented. Shirou turned to look at her with a raised brow, "Is that a physical education joke? Because that was quite lame." He said, Rebecca smirking . "It is not a joke until your perceive it as one, mon ami." Shirou shook his head.
"Anyway," Saber said, butting in, "Shall we go to the next location?" Shirou turned to face her, eyes widening in slight surprise. "Wait, you want to go around the whole school?"
"Of course, to make sure it is safe." Was her reply.
Today was going to be a long day…
2004, February 3, 19:25
FUYUKI, HOMURAHARA ACADEMY
After a long time of going around the school, their search for something… had finally ended. Shirou slipped off his school shoes and put on his casual wear. "I'm now… very exhausted." He muttered as he put on his shoes.
"Shirou.. ! Is that you?" He turned to see Ayako standing beside the lockers, her arms crossed, "What're you still doing here at school?"
"Oh, Ayako. Are you guys done?" He asked, Ayako nodding. "Yeah, we're wrapping up early today."
"Ah, alright. We'll, see ya." He said, turning to walk away. "Hey… Shirou?" He heard Ayako call his name once more, he turned around. "Yeah.. what's up?" He asked. "Will you ever come back to the Archery Club? It sounds like Ms. Fujimura is trying to talk you back into it… so where do you stand?"
Ah, damn. He was not going to lie, that kind of stung. He had quite because of the situation with Shinji… at least that was the main reason. The other reasons were his part-time jobs and the injury he received a while back, although that had long since healed.
Shirou had to admit, he kind of wanted to go back. Sakura and Ayako's company was always good company, he just didn't know how he'd deal with Shinji and his constant abuse of Sakura. Shirou released a sigh, his brows furrowing.
It wouldn't hurt… would it?
A small smile formed on his lips as he looked Ayako eye-to-eye, "Hey.. I'm reconsidering." He said, the girl returned a smile bigger than his. "Y-you are? That's surprising." She said, catching Shirou of guard. "Surprising.. ? How so?" He inquired.
"Well, from the minute you joined you were so good it was scary. But, it always seemed you didn't care about hitting the target.. or maybe you just didn't want to hit it." She said, "I just assumed you quite because you got bored with it all. It's almost like you don't got any desire for anything these days."
Well.
There was the whole Hero of Justice thing.
"Really… ?" Shirou replied, kind of surprised she'd think that. "I – I'm not saying you should be like Shinji… But… why don't you try to have some fun."
Shirou scratched the back of his head nervously as he averted his gaze from Ayako, "Oh it must be pre-tty bad if I'm getting pity from my classmate… " He said. Ayako chuckled, "Come on, Shirou. You barely smile."
Just as quick as the words rolled out her mouth, the image flashed by his mind.
FLA M ES D EAT H DE ST RUC TION DEA TH DEA TH DEATH ASH DEATH SCREAMS DE A T H
DEATH.
A WORLD ON FIRE.
His gaze shifted to Ayako who leaned forward with a bright smile. "Remember that time back in training camp? We were being all rowdy and telling jokes, you were the one person who wasn't laughing at my best material." She said, "I'm still carrying a grudge y'know."
Damn, he hadn't even realized until now.
Was he really like that.
"Well.. I – I… " Shirou began, gaining Ayako's attention. "Well if you say I need to have more fun, how about we do something… ?" Ayako paused, a genuine look of surprise on her face. "What, like us two only or-?" She blinked, Shirou's cheeks quickly flushed red as he waved his hands. "I - It doesn't erhm, have to be just us… we can bring Sakura with us!"
Ayako seemed to think about before nodding, "Sure, when?"
"Does tomorrow sound alright?" Ayako wore a devilish smirk as she chuckled. "Wow, you want to go out that soon? I never thought of you as a desperate man, Shirou."
"What- No.. damn it, she's gotten to you too.. " He muttered, Ayako laughing at his expense. "Well," She twirled a set of keys around her fingers, "I have to go to the faculty room now, so I'll see you tomorrow!" She said, walking down the hall.
Rebecca is never going to let him hear the end of this.
"I am never going to let you hear the end of this." Rebecca is currently giggling like a mad-woman beside the kotatsu. Shirou let out an annoyed grown as he washed the plates.
Deciding to get that out of his mind for now, he thought back to the reception of his dinner.
To him, it seemed they found his dinner lackluster, which was a grave insult to his craft. "I put every bit of my godly skill into this dinner, damn it!" He muttered, "And what's up with Sakura? She didn't even help.. "
Speaking of which…
"Oi, Taiga, it's getting late! Can you walk Sakura home?" No response, is she ignoring him? Seriously he has one other girl living in his house and even Rebecca and Maiya explained the situation to her and she is giving him attitude right now?
"Fuji-nee?" He called out for her one more time, what was on TV that was attracting all of their attention? He noticed that everyone besides him was focused on the TV. "Helloooooo…. Earth to Ms. Fujimura? Are you ignoring me?" That managed to get a response out of her. "Sorry, request denied. I won't be able to walk Sakura home for a while."
"And why is that?" He asked, Taiga standing up and facing him. "Because, starting tonight I'm going to be living here too!"
That effectively broke the boy's thought pattern.
Four women, four women were now staying in house.
"What… ?" He blinked, attempting to process the absurdity behind such statement. "Care to join me, Sakura?" Taiga turned, looking down at the seated girl, "I'll call home and see if it's okay with them, so you don't have to worry!"
"Oh… – oh, oh yes, thanks! I can always count on you Ms. Fujimura!" Was the timid girl's reply.
Five, five women.
"Woah, woah! Time out, TIME OUT!" Shirou exclaimed, "Do we even have enough rooms for everybody!?" He asked. "The backroom has lot's of futons, Shirou." Maiya said, sipping her tea. The boy shot her a look of betrayal, the woman hiding a sly smirk under her mug.
"Ah yeah, big sleep over!" Taiga shouted with joy, Shirou shrinking under the shared agreement of the women.
Why God.. why?
2004, February 3, 20:00
FUYUKI, NEW CITY
Rin Tohsaka stood in a middle of dimly lit room in one of the New City buildings, her gaze centered on the canine-like skeletal familiars running across the room towards. It seems that the depravity of some magi went very far, a master and Servant pair were involving outsiders and that was something she was very much against. She raised arm, a red orb of energy appearing in front of her hands as she aimed at the fast-approaching skeletal familiars. This was a Gandr spell, a curse that originates from Northern Europe that has the capability of equaling or surpassing the force of a bullet. A very useful spell in a situation like this.
She let the curse shoot out from her hand, within seconds it struck one of the familiars with such force that it instantly shattered and dissolved into ash. She quickly switched to the one closest to her, firing another curse, the same result.
She took a few steps forward, before coming to halt when she felt the ground rumble. Something big was on it's way, trails of dust rained from the ceiling as the rumbling became heavier and heavier.
Behind her, the ceiling busted open as rubble came crashing down to the floor she was one, a cloud dust spread out briefly before being cleared by a skeletal tail whipping just inches past her. A much larger familiar, a bigger target for her.
She aims once more, the Gandr curse building up in power. The large familiar began broke into a mad dash towards her, only to be destroyed by the Gandr curse that impacted it's head.
It too turned to ash.
With the immediate 'threats', more like minor obstacles to her, taken care of, she continued her investigation of the building. She opened a door, coming to see a large office dimly lit by the computer screens still active, a thick layer of smoke cover the ground with multiple bodies scattered across the room.
"What kind of incense is this… ?" She wondered, covering her nose as the smell invades her person. Archer materialized behind her, peering into the room. "It's a witch's incense, undoubtedly. It's powerful and seems to destroy love… we're most likely dealing with a woman here."
"Archer, open the windows." She said as she walks deeper into the room, scanning every corner. She stumbles upon a body, slumped against their desk. She grits her teeth, her hands balling into fists at the sight.
Why?
Why involve innocent people who have no business in the war like this?
This was seemed like a repeat of the Caster situation like the one from the Fourth War, if it turned to be Caster who was behind all this then that would just further cement her hate for that particular class.
She felt that the war would not remain a traditional one for long.
2004, February 3, 20:30
FUYUKI, EMIYA ESTATE
Rebecca Aimesoire, a run-away magus from the clock-tower who wished to live a regular life instead of a dangerous one of the Moonlit World, was now having some conflict with herself. A Holy Grail War, her father and brother had told her many stories about the war, of course they haven't experienced it firsthand, but they had connections who were well informed about the results.
She herself really wanted to live a normal life, but now that Shirou himself has now gotten involved with the war, she wondered if it was really worth it-!
No, she shouldn't think life that.
She made a promise to Kiritsugu that she'd look after his son, she still had that debt to repay, and if it was repayed she wouldn't leave the boy's side. But…
She was an absolute failure of a magus; it wasn't even funny. Now that wasn't really her fault, her parents were much more adamant than Kiritsugu ever was about the teachings of magecraft, they did not want her anywhere near it… so they chose her brother.
"Edward… " The name floated around her head, she leaned back further on her recliner, her eyes narrowing as memories returned to the forefront of her mind.
A large, beautiful mansion surrounded by lush and mesmerizing nature. Great, no, fantastic parents who cared for her and raised her like she were an angel and a caring brother who became her mighty shield growing up.
She lost all that when she was a tender ten years old, the sight of her home on fire could never leave her mind.
She has no clue where her brother is, if he is even still alive really… everything happened so fast she couldn't keep up with anything. The next thing she knew was that she was on a flight to London with a strange man…
A curious individual by the name of Kairi Sisigou, she wondered where that man was now-?
A knock on the door caught her attention, "Come in!" She answered, the door sliding open to reveal Sakura at the door. "Oh? Sakura, you came to see me?" Rebecca asked, receiving a nod from the girl. "What's the matter?" Sakura was silent. Rebecca knew something had been bothering the girl, she stood up and approached her. "Sakura, what's wrong?" She asked again. "It's about my brother, he… I think he's planning to do something to Shirou." She said.
Rebecca frowned, what does she mean. "How so? What's he going to do?" Rebecca asked, this information was quite concerning, especially considering the circumstances surrounding the redhead now. Sakura paused before inhaling deeply, "Shinji… he's a… "
Footsteps echoed down the hall, before they came to a sudden halt at Rebecca's doorway. The blonde looked up to find the dimly lit form of Maiya, dressed in her kimono, standing at the doorway. Rebecca grimaced as she looked back at Sakura.
"He's… a master."
"So, you believe the child is the son of a deceased magus?" A blonde man spoke from one of seats a few rows away from Kirei Kotomine, who knelt on the podium with his hands clasps together. "Indeed, Tokiomi and I have met with the woman that accompanied the boy last night, she was an associate of Kiritsugu Emiya during the Fourth Holy Grail War." The fake priest replied, his eyes remaining closed, "This war is bound to be interesting, that is without a doubt."
The blonde man scoffed, "What is so interesting about a woman and her brat?" He asked, scowling at Kotomine from his seat. Kotomine laughed, "In time, you might find yourself before an opponent that is more-or-less your equal, that was the boy's father to me." He replied.
The man's scowl deepened, "Are you suggesting that the boy is an equal to me, The King of Heroes?" He spat out, glaring daggers at the priest's back. Kotomine shook his head as he stood up, turning around to meet the man's glare with a smile. "Perhaps I am, perhaps I am not."
"But what is certain, is that this war will be interesting.
Shirou Emiya sat in the shed, digging deep into his mind. Under different circumstances, he'd be training his tracing and reinforcement, but right now... he was searching for something else. This morning, he awoke from a strange dream, a dream so real it scared him. A world filled with swords, they didn't stretch very far but they were there.
His brain started to ache as he probed himself, he withstood the pain.
He stopped, he felt his mind reverberate, an echo continuously repeating in his mind. "Withstood... the pain." He muttered under his breath, those words resonated with him, but why did he feel so much... stranger?
He sighed, shaking his head. "I'll figure this all out tomorrow." He said, standing up and turning to the exit of the shed.
Right now, he needed some sleep.
He didn't notice the shadowed female figure that was once on his shed retreating into the city.
Greetings! - Before I begin, I'm planning on setting up another different 'story' were I can talk more in depth about the story so that the only thing you guys can see one the ACTUAL story is... well story. I'm thinking of doing this because I've felt the frustration of like a fic so much that whenever I see that there is a next chapter out; it's an Author's Note, and then another Author's Note and so on. So to avoid that entirely here, I wanna set up a seperate 'story'.
Now, onto the good stuff.
I am honestly surprised that I managed to get a chapter done only a day after the release of the first, so yay me I guess.
Now, I've noticed that yes indeed the story's first chapters are near identical to UBW's first 2-3ish episodes, I'm here to say that it will be switched up (well, I hope I can effectively switch it up since I have lackluster writing skills). I will say that this and the first chapter were more along the lines of setup and me actually getting a feel for writing fate, it was also me trying to learn how to write character reactions such as facial expressions and whatnot.
Hopefully I can work on the next chapter much better than I did this one (my brain was off during the beginning).
Bye!