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

Aozaki and Tohsaka – The Book of the Four Faces

Chapter 1

"Congratulations." Svin Glascheit said while extending a hand towards Caules Forvedge. Caules took it firmly, and shook his friend's hand.

"Thanks." He said. "Though for what it's worth, your presentation was just as well done as mine or anyone else in our class' was."

"Hmm…thanks…" Svin said as they both let go. "…though, I guess we can't really disagree with Lord El-Melloi II's reasoning on how when all is said and done, your project was still the most practical out of all of us."

Caules laughed weakly and rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, I guess so." He said. "Though you have to admit that's only for a given value of 'practical'. Making carbon fiber and silicon carbide isn't a walk in the park, especially in large amounts. Or for that matter, refining silver to at least ninety-nine per cent purity. And you still have to put them together afterwards."

"True, true," Svin admitted with a series of nods, before crossing his arms and tilting his head with a smile. "But there'd be more possible applications, and less chance of complications resulting from said applications."

"…eh…not really…" Caules uncertainly said. "…if you don't take proper precautions while producing carbon fiber and silicon carbide, or refining silver, there'd be really nasty complications further down the line. At least as bad as yours, which is what really concerned Lord El-Melloi II."

"True, true," Svin said with a sigh. "Though like I said, that's why it's only supposed to be used in emergencies, and if you do use it, you should see a medical professional as soon as possible."

Caules nodded before giving a smile. "Well," he said. "At least it's still more practical than most other projects presented today."

Svin snorted, and raised an eyebrow at Caules. "Like your girlfriend's?" he asked with an impressed smile. "Using Imaginary Numbers in conjunction with territorial fields for instantaneous travel between multiple points within said territorial fields…talk about thinking big."

"Yes, well, Sakura was – is – a Grand Magus' apprentice." Caules said while adjusting his glasses. "It's only natural for her to think big."

"Did someone mention my name?" Sakura asked, walking over in curiosity.

"Yeah, we were just talking about you." Svin said with a polite nod. "Not bad, Sakura…"

Sakura snorted. "Thanks," she said. "But you don't need to soften the blow. Guess I should have listened to Caules, huh? Practicality, practicality…"

She trailed off with a sigh, and after a moment Caules had placed an arm around her shoulders as a comforting gesture. "…to be fair," he said. "The energy problem was solved in theory, by linking the territorial fields to the local ley-lines."

"Assuming they can pick up the slack," Sakura countered. "As Lord El-Melloi II said, not all ley-lines are equal. I could suck some of them dry, and that still might not be enough to give my project the juice it needs. And of course, territorial fields are tricky things to set up in the first place."

Sakura sighed, and gave Caules an apologetic look. "Sorry, Caules." She said. "I should have listened and gone for something smaller and more manageable."

"Hmm…" Caules hummed before pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "…no, it's fine. It wasn't a bad idea, just…ahead of its time, I guess. And you can't be blamed for that."

"Hmm…thanks…" Sakura said, closing her eyes and hugging Caules back before disengaging. "By the way, Svin?"

"Yeah?"

"Would you like to talk to my master when she comes back?"

"What?"

Sakura tilted her head with a smile. "It's just that that idea of yours," she began. "Using a cocktail of adrenaline, endorphins, and a psychotropic performance enhancer to improve ability in critical situations is something that might just interest her. Especially that last bit: I mean, it isn't untried or unknown, but a psychotropic component for the enhancer? There's something that might get master to consider the idea of cooperation for mutual benefit."

Svin stood still and silent for a few moments, and then nodded slowly. "…it does seem like something up your master's alley." He finally admitted. "And there is a lot of promise in the idea. I'll have to think it over at length."

Sakura nodded. "Makes sense," she said. "Still, thanks for not immediately throwing the idea away out of hand."

Svin smiled. "What?" he asked. "It's a potential chance to work with the famed Grand Magus Touko Aozaki herself. I can't just dismiss it without thinking it over first. And thanking you, of course, for bringing it up in the first place. So, thanks."

"Well, what are friends for?"

"Hmm…what indeed?"

"Hey there, Gray." Sakura greeted with a wave as she walked with Svin and Caules to the cafeteria for lunch. "It's been a while, how've you been?"

"Busy," the cloaked and hooded magus said with a sigh, and giving polite nods to both Svin and Caules, who nodded back at her. "Lord El-Melloi II has been keeping me busy over the past couple of weeks."

"…have you been getting enough sleep?" Svin asked with veiled concern. "And have you been eating? You look…well, you don't really look it but…"

Svin trailed off with a pair of near-inaudible sniffs. "…you're not well, are you?" he finally asked.

"I've been busy." Gray said while briefly closing her eyes. "Needs must…now if you'll excuse me, I must report to Lord El-Melloi II. I take my leave."

Gray gave a polite bow, and then hurried off, leaving all three of her friends looking after her in concern. "Something must be up." Svin finally said. "I know Lord El-Melloi II's always busy, but this is the first time we've seen Gray in weeks. And she explicitly said Lord El-Melloi II's been keeping her busy, and I could smell it."

"…that's…a bit paranoid…don't you think?" Sakura asked, and Svin glanced at her. "I mean…yeah, they're busier than normal, but it's probably nothing too serious."

"And you're sure of that how?" Svin challenged.

It was Caules who answered. "Incidents and happenings don't stay quiet for long." He said. "Well, the details do, but that's beside the point."

"The generalities should have come out by now if something serious went up." Sakura followed-through.

"And the rumor mill would have gone to work immediately," Caules said with a resigned air. "Churning out a hundred and one stories all of which are partly-true, but none actually telling the whole thing."

"That's…a good point." Svin conceded before sighing. "…I'm just…worried, for her, you know?"

"She'll be fine." Sakura said, before giving a reassuring smile. "Trust me, women are stronger than they look, and we have a sense for each other. Better than men have for each other."

Caules and Svin crossed their arms and raised their eyebrows. "Oh really?" they chorused.

"Yeah," Sakura said without flinching. "We do. So while Gray's getting tired and worn out from overwork, she'll pull through, no doubt about it. And don't worry. She's nowhere near burning out."

"And you got all that from women's intuition?" Svin asked skeptically.

"Mostly…and the fact that Gray's a magus." Sakura said with a shrug.

"…not really very reassuring…" Svin said crossly.

Caules sighed. "That said," he began. "No matter how worried we get for her, what can we do? If it's official business for Lord El-Melloi II, we can't just butt-in. Depending on how serious it is, it might be worth our heads."

"I…don't think it's that bad." Sakura said. "Remember what we talked about just now about incidents, happenings, and the rumor mill? Still, let's not go around tipping stones and get sanctioned for it."

"So we're just going to leave Grey to fend for herself?" Svin asked.

"I didn't say that." Sakura said, her turn to be cross. Then gesturing, she pulled out one of her spirits from Imaginary Numbers Space, and giving it a mental command, sent it off across the department.

"What are you planning, Sakura?" Caules asked.

Sakura shrugged. "I invited Gray to join us at Olga's this evening." She said. "Assuming she has free time, of course."

Gray emerged from Lord El-Melloi II's office to find a surprising (or not so surprising) sight. There was Flat Escardos, clearly waiting for his turn to come into the office, and passing the time with a conversation. That in itself wasn't unusual. What was unusual was who – or rather what – he was conversing with.

"I see." Flat said with a sympathetic tone and nod. "That's really sad. The man did everything he could so she and their son could want for nothing, but she never reciprocated until the very end."

The ghostly white blob hanging in the air of the corridor and filling it with a clammy chill bobbed as though nodding its head. Gray shivered, pulling her cloak tighter around herself, her breath coming out in steamy puffs. Down either side of the corridor, the windows were similarly fogging over from the cold.

"Hmm…the question is could she really not reciprocate?" Flat asked. "Or she just didn't want to reciprocate?"

"Flat," Gray breathed.

"Huh…oh hey, Gray." Flat said, turning and noticing her. "I can go in now?"

Gray nodded, and Flat turned back to the spirit he'd been conversing with, not looking the least bit put off or even affected by the cold in any way whatsoever. "Sorry, but I've got to go now." He cheerfully said. "It was nice talking to you though, I hope we can do it again sometime in the future. Bye!"

Waving cheerfully at the spirit, Flat happily walked over to the office door, and opening it, slipped inside before closing it behind him. Alone with the spirit, Gray looked at it warily, but after a few moments the temperature began to rise, the spirit pulling into itself before drifting closer to Gray.

Intent echoed through the ether, not quite words but enough for Gray to discern their meaning with some effort from her magic circuits. "You have a message?" she asked. "From who?"

An image ghosted into her thoughts from the spirit, filtered of possible malicious intent by Gray's magic circuits. "Sakura…" Gray said in recognition. "What does she want to say?"

Intent once more echoed through the ether, and Gray nodded in understanding. "Very well," she said. "No promises, but I acknowledge and am grateful for the invitation. You may go."

A sense of understanding came from the spirit, and then it was gone. Gray sighed as the temperature in the corridor returned to normal, and ran a hand through her hair while keeping her hood up.

…Flat…

Shaking her head at how…incomprehensible, her friend could be at times, Gray strode off to carry out her master's commands.

"Yes, Flat?" Lord Waver El-Melloi II asked from behind his desk as Flat approached.

Flat responded with a grin and by waving around a clipboard he was carrying with him. "You asked me to bring some papers over to General Fundamentals, professor." He said. "I'm back, and they sent more papers back with me!"

"Of course they did." Waver said with a sigh. "Alright, bring them here, let's see what they've got."

Flat did as he was told, and then bounced around on his heels while Waver flipped through papers on the clipboard. Then taking a fountain pen, Waver signed at the bottom of each page, before removing the papers from the clipboard and putting them in separate piles on his desk.

Opening a drawer, Waver pulled out a pair of file folders, and slipped the papers inside the appropriate folder. Replacing them in the drawer, Waver pushed it closed before turning back to Flat. "Okay, Flat." He said with a sigh. "Good work, but you can go back to class now."

Flat gave a faux-salute. "Right away, professor!" he said, before turning around and walking over to the door to leave. Alone in his office, Waver sighed, and after a moment got up to look out the windows behind him.

After nearly a minute, he turned and walked towards one of the shelves lining his office's walls. Pulling out a set of books and setting them aside, Waver opened a safe built into the wall, from which he removed a shot glass and a bottle of brandy. Waver unashamedly filled the former to the brim, and drank it down in one go. Then refilling the shot glass, took a mouthful while resealing the safe and replacing the books.

Returning to his desk, Waver had barely managed to sit down and get back to work before the door burst open. "Waver!" Lady Reines El-Melloi Archisorte shouted as she walked into the room like she owned it, Trimmau trailing after her.

"About what, Reines?" Waver said with a sigh, and a drink of his brandy.

Reines' eyes zeroed in on the nearly full glass in Waver's hand, and her expression evened out. Waver internally – he knew better than to sigh aloud at that warning sign – sighed. He knew what was coming next.

"Well, first of all, don't you know it's against the rules to drink alcohol on the job? And for another thing…"

As Reines picked up steam, Waver could only sigh in his head and take it like a man.

"Sorry, Sakura!" Yvette L. Lehrman apologized in an overly-theatrical fashion. "But I'm going to have to pass for tonight. You see, I've got an appointment at a spa this evening, for a facial, mud bath, and everything else that make up the works! Just you wait and see: come tomorrow, Lord El-Melloi II won't be able to resist!"

"…uh…right…" Sakura said, resisting the urge to take a step back. "…next time then."

"Yup, bye-bye!"

Yvette pranced off, humming to herself. Sakura scratched her head, and then shook it before pulling a bottle of pills out of the Imaginary Numbers Space. "That woman makes me so tired sometimes." She thought, downing some paracetamol to deal with the headache starting to build between her eyes.

Returning the pill bottle to Imaginary Numbers Space, Sakura walked off across the Department of Modern Magecraft Theories. Twenty minutes later and she was waiting for Caules outside another room, her boyfriend chatting with a friend at a worktable.

He quickly spotted her though, and bringing their conversation to a quick end, gathered his things before joining her outside. "Hey." He said.

"Hey yourself." Sakura said, before leaning in for a quick kiss. Then they were walking off, arm in arm. Caules quickly realized though that Sakura was somewhat…tense.

"Something wrong?" he asked.

"Yvette…" Sakura said with a sigh. "I invited her to join us tonight, but she's in one of her moods. You know, where she gets busy with another hair-brained scheme to seduce Lord El-Melloi II and become his mistress."

"Ah…yeah, I get what you mean." Caules said with a sympathetic nod. "What's she going to do this time? Please tell me it's not like what happened on Valentine's…"

"No, nothing like that." Sakura said, with an inward shudder at the mention of Yvette's Valentine's Day scheme from the previous year. She'd only just joined the department at the time, and Yvette's shenanigans had nearly led her to transfer to another department out of sheer embarrassment.

In the end though, Lord Waver El-Melloi II had talked her out of it.

No offense intended, but at the end of the day until your apprenticeship is complete you are a mere no-name upstart as far as most families are concerned.

Your willingness to persevere against discrimination and ultimately succeed is admirable, but also naïve in its own way.

The only department outside of our own where your talents would not be wasted out of sheer inertia – to say the least – would be General Fundamentals, and only in part at that.

You're Japanese, aren't you, Miss Tohsaka? Then I'm sure you've heard of the saying gossip just lasts 75 days.

Rest assured, Miss Lehrman will be regretting her actions very much, and there will be no repetitions.

"Apparently," Sakura continued. "She's going to spend the evening at a spa getting a facial, a mud bath, and everything else to make her look as pretty as possible for another try at getting into Lord El-Melloi II's bed."

"Well…I suppose that's better than what happened last year." Caules sighed. "I mean, she's wasting her time, but it is her time to waste…"

Caules trailed off with a shrug. Sakura smiled and shrugged as well, and then resting her head against Caules' shoulder, continued on their way.

"…out, OUT, OUT!"

Caules and Sakura paused walking at the sound of angry shouting coming from the bar up ahead. They looked on as a dark-haired woman dressed in a red cocktail dress under a black mantle trimmed in white fur threw out an unruly patron practically by the ear. "You can't treat me like this!" the man shouted from where he was lying on the ground. "Don't you know who I am?"

"See if I care." The bar madam snapped. "Get out of my sight, and be thankful I don't call the cops on you for being touchy-feely with my waitresses."

The man got to his feet, heaving angrily, only for two of the walking mountains of muscle that served as the bar's bouncers to close ranks before the bar madam. Quickly realizing his chances, the man backed off with a sneer and a rude gesture. "You wait and see!" he shouted. "I have friends…powerful friends…I'll be back, you'll see!"

The bar madam scoffed and made to go back inside, only to pause as Caules and Sakura approached up the street, and ignoring the long line along the sidewalk. "Hey," she said with a small smile, Oriental features – and to Sakura, strangely-familiar ones at that (though it could just be Asians being rare in London or rather the Clock Tower making the bar madam stand out) – giving her an exotic air, even more so as her eyes were blue instead of the brown more common among Asians. "Sorry about that."

"You're just doing your job, Madam Trish." Caules said, and Sakura nodded next to him.

"That said," Sakura began. "Will it really be alright? That guy sounded pretty confident about his…friends, in high places."

Trisha 'Trish' Fujimaru snorted. "And you think I don't have friends in high places?" she asked.

"Point," Sakura replied, and Trish grinned.

"Get in, you two." She said with a gesture of her head. "Regulars like you don't wait in line, and a couple of your friends already got here ahead of you."

Caules and Sakura nodded. "Excuse us." Caules politely said, as he and Sakura were let through by the bouncers.

The inside of the bar was fairly anachronistic, and wouldn't look out of place for anyone from the Roaring 20s. That was the whole point though, as it gave the place a 'classy' feel which served to attract customers. Good food, drink, music, and service convinced them to stay, and keep coming back.

All four of those were going around in good amounts, waitresses in yellow dresses and white aprons and caps going to and fro, serving drinks and food, and taking orders from customers at tables and in booths. There didn't seem to be a band today, but the regular pianist was there at the stage, playing jazz tunes on her piano, wearing a violet cocktail dress that matched her hair and eyes.

Probably thanks to hair dye or contact lenses…

…or not, Olga's being not far from the Clock Tower, and indeed counted many magi among their patrons. And while Caules and Sakura had never seen any of the staff at the Clock Tower before, that didn't completely rule them out as being magi – or spell-casters – themselves.

Not that it really mattered, of course. And it was rude to ask, especially when they had no reason to either.

So they just went with it, and from the look of things, so did any other magus who paid the slightest bit of attention to Mash's – obviously a stage name – coloring. Besides, what did it matter in the end, anyway? She played well, and that was that.

Slipping through the crowd and past other tables and booths, Caules and Sakura made their way to their usual booth, and found Svin and Gray having beaten them there.

"Gray…!" Sakura happily said, immediately sitting next to her friend, and giving her a quick hug. "I'm glad you could make it."

"…Lord El-Melloi II said I could take a break." Gray said with a small smile. "We've been working very hard lately, but smoothly for all that. So he gave me the whole of tonight to myself, though it's back to normal again tomorrow."

"Well, life's like that." Sakura admitted before grinning. "So you ought to take and enjoy what time you have."

Gray nodded, and then the four of them – Svin and Caules breaking off their conversation – were looking to a waitress as she served their regular orders. "Draft beer for Mister Forvedge," she cheerfully said. "And rum and cola for Miss Tohsaka."

"Thank you, thank you." Sakura chanted before taking her glass and giving it a sip, while Caules nodded in agreement.

"Miss…?" Svin said, lifting his empty beer mug and letting her take it away for a refill. Caules took a sip of his beer, and then took snatched a nacho chip from the platter already on the table.

"…still trying to be a good girl, huh?" Sakura observed with an amused smile, noting Gray's order of a fruit smoothie instead of something alcoholic. Gray just shrugged, and a titter of laughter rippled through the quartet.

"Is Flat not coming?" Caules asked before taking another nacho chip and putting it into his mouth.

"He said he'd come." Svin said. "Unless something comes up. You know how he is."

"…true…"

Conversation stilled again, as the waitress returned with a fresh and foaming mug of beer for Svin. Svin took it gratefully, and then counting up to three, the four magi clinked their glasses together in a toast before taking long drinks of their chosen beverages.

"Well, aren't you four having fun?"

Eyes turned to the source of the voice, falling on Luviagelita 'Luvia' Edelfelt, the smirking blonde dressed in a blue and white cocktail dress. And next to her was Flat, who rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly at the attention.

"Sorry," he began. "I got lost."

"Again…?" Sakura asked in disbelief.

"But…how…?" Caules asked next.

"We come here like…three times a week, at least." Svin said in a confused tone. "How can you get lost just as often?"

"I don't know." Flat whined while slipping in to sit next to Caules. "I just do…"

"One of you really should stay with Flat on the way from the tower when coming here." Luvia said as she sat down next to Sakura. "I found the poor dear going around in circles two blocks away, and I simply had to help him."

Svin palmed his face, while Caules sighed. "…thanks, Luvia." Sakura said.

"Anytime." Luvia said in a sing-song tone, as a waitress arrived with food and drinks. More nachos, as well as Long Island Iced Tea for Luvia, and a Piña Colada for Flat.

"Thanks again, Luvia." Flat said after a long drink of his beverage. "That said, um…I…I don't really need to be accompanied while coming here. I'm sure I'll figure it out and stop getting lost sooner or later. But, I need to learn on my own, right?"

"Well, if that's how you feel about it, then fine." Luvia said with a shrug. Most of the other magi around the table didn't look nearly as convinced, as shown by the troubled looks they shared with each other.

"Great!" Flat said with his usual cheer.

"It's not fine or great at all!" Svin protested.

"Agreed," Caules said with a nod, before glancing at his friend. "Flat, you shouldn't be so…cavalier, and uncaring about getting lost."

"I don't want to cause you or Svin or anyone else trouble…" Flat began.

"It's no trouble at all." Svin interrupted, and Caules nodded.

"Yeah, we're friends, after all." He said. "And we look out for each other."

"…thanks?" Flat began. "But…I can't let you guys hold my hands for me, because that's not really going to help. I…"

As the four of them – Caules, Flat, Sakura, and Svin – argued over the table, Gray just nibbled at nacho chips completely unconcerned, and sipping every so often at her smoothie. As for Luvia…

…despite the decidedly inelegant surroundings she found herself in, she found herself far more at ease here than in any ballroom or garden party she'd ever attended. And wasn't that a remarkable thing?

A/N

It's only slow for now. Events will move much faster in coming chapters.