Chapter 25
2 hours after Saber leaves.
"Why am I pissed off so much," Shirou said to himself in the shed. He was frustrated with himself whether it was that he never questioned his father or that he would eventually lose Saber at the end of all of this.
"Troubled young lad?" Paradox said appearing right beside him. "Yeah, I guess." Shirou didn't know what to say but yeah troubled seemed to be their right word. "Ah, the wonders of youth. No doubt it's about Saber."
Shirou just sighed in the defeat of his feelings for her.
"You wish her to stay with you." Shirou felt his face turn red with paradoxes words.
"Well..yeah but I am not going to force her with the grail," Shirou said. Paradox walked around shed.
"So you're giving up." Shirou tensed up but let it go.
"I Just don't know what to do. She is loyal to being a king to her people but is also pushing those around her away."
"Hmmm, sounds like someone I know. A person following their ideals to the point they throw away their humanity." Paradox's words hit Shirou like a baseball bat. She going down the path that Shirou is trying to avoid, following ideals until self-destruction.
"Why? I Stopped pushing my pipe dream to keep the people I care about with me. But now I am losing the one I care for the most!" Shirou yells in anger.
"Because she's afraid."
Shirou turns around and looked at Paradox
"Afraid?" That did not sound like her. Even from the memories, he has seen she always shown no fear. "She's afraid of failing as a king and would continue to be even after Camelot ended." Shirou mental skimmed through all of the memories he had seen from Saber past.
"But what can I do?"
Paradox smiled "Be there for her. You, young man, are the key to her salvation as she is to yours." he then opens his pocket watch.
"Well, I am needed elsewhere tata for now!" with a flash of the blue he is gone.
"Be there for her. Is that all?" Shirou then leaves and finds Ben looking around the yard.
"Oh, there you are! Have you seen Tamamo anywhere? She said she was going to get some air but that was like a while ago." Ben said
"She's not here? What about Saber?". Shirou asked
"I thought she was with you. I went to her room and she wasn't there." Bens words brought worry to Shirou eyes.
"Dammit, Saber went out on her own!" Shirou then ran to the door with Ben right behind.
"Whoa, dude Slow down! What happened?" Ben managed to slow Shirou down let him explain.
"Saber and I had a little disagreement on things and now she intends on finishing the war on her own," Shirou said as he quickly got his shoes on.
"On her own?! I guess Caster went looking for her." Ben quickly tried to reproduce his trick to find caster… 'Come on.' But to no avail.
"Damn I can't track Caster" Ben then powered up the ultimatrix
"I have a guess where Saber went," Shirou said and ben nodded.
"I'll fly out and find Caster then!" Ben slams down on the watch and transforms into Big Chill and after they leave through the front he dashes into the air while Shirou runs into the streets.
"Now where did she get to?" Big chill soared the skies looking for Caster. "Maybe she in New-town?" Big chill was about to cross the river when he saw a person jumping from rooftop to rooftop and with a quick squint of his bug eyes he saw it was his kitsune servant. He then flew towards her position and hopefully get some answers. Tamamo was steaming from her talk with Saber.
"Why can't she see that erasing the past won't bring justice to those who died. Why can't she accept her flaws and move on?" Caster muttered as she stopped to look back at the bridge.
"Out for a stroll Caster" the raspy voice calls out from behind her and turns around to find Ben as Big Chill behind her with his arms crossed. "I guess that I took too long?" Caster said with a fake laugh.
"Please, You talking to the guy who used. 'Getting some air' excuse nearly 20 times a week." Big chill said with no anger in his voice.
"Now, I would like an explanation of what is going on?" Caster immediately looked back to the bridge again and sighed not wanting to tell her Ben about the conversation she had.
"That bad eh?" He said and walked closer to Caster who nodded.
"Well, something tells me that it can only be dealt with by those two alone. They're both stubborn but even then you have to give in sometime. Trust me, I know from experience." Ben has always been a bit stubborn but even then he always came to reason when times were tough.
Caster nodded and smiled "Sorry for worrying you master."
"Nah I would've done the same thing. Now-"
"Ben! You there?! Please pick up!" A voice comes from Big chills chest and he unwraps his upper wings to use the ultimatrix on his chest. "Ben here, Sakura? What's going on?"
"W-we were walking home when a man started to follow us while after we left Hakuno at her home. B-but it was Lancer!"
"Are you ok? Where are you?" ben immediately went to hero mode, both Sakura and Ilya are being held hostage"Yes, We are in the Einzbern woods please hurry!".
"Sit tight! We are on our way!" Big chill disconnected the comms and looked to Tamamo.
"You ready?" And with a flash of light caster was in her mystic code, ready to go hero herself.
"Is there any other answer? Let's go!" Big chill then picked up Caster and flew off to the Einzbern forest.
Sakura shook in fear as lancer held them, hostage, unbound but under the threat of the spear. Sakura was looking at the servant while Ilya was calm.
"What do you want lancer?" Illya asks but lancer was silent with a face comparable to a child being forced to housework. "Illya, What are you doing?" Sakura asks slightly afraid of the fact Illya is so calm.
"No one here can kill Ben, Not without others knowing about it." Ilya answers. "Think about it, the guy who made that watch would not simply let Ben's death go unnoticed and contact the plumbers.". Sakura thought for a moment but it made sense with bens fame a master would learn eventually the risk of killing him.
"But then why try to fight him if they can't kill him?" Ilya was about to answer but a familiar moth man flew from the night sky carrying Caster. "Well, well I was wondering when you were going to show yourself. Now let's cut the chit chat. " Big chill lets Caster down and she took a stance ready to attack. "I am going to ask this once: let them go and surrender."
Lancer lowers his spear from his spear and looks at ben straight in the eye. "Sorry kid, no can do. My master wants you out of the picture." He then whips his spear, cutting the air and takes an attacking stance.
"Sad to say lancer that you won't be walking away from this" Caster said and focuses her magic in her palms.
With a drop of a leaf, Lancer dashes at them and swings his spear at big chill but it goes through him. "Having a hard time hitting me? That too bad." Big chill then shuffles behind him and punches lancer in the back with his enhanced strength.
"I am not going to fall for your tricks lancer". Lancer quickly recovers for a backswing but rolls to the left to avoid an ice shard from Tamamo. Caster quickly fired a blast of shards from her mirror but lancer twirls his spear with immense speed and blocks all of her attacks.
"Protection from arrows. No wonder Archer had a hard time with you." the skill that protected the user from any projectiles with rank depending on its effectiveness and it seemed like Lancer had it at a high rank.
"Yeah, That's me alright. Now I-" Big Chill interrupts with a flying punching to the face creating a shock wave knocking lancer back a few feet.
"Oi Kid I was talking!" Lancer said rubbing faces in pain.
"And I took that moment to sock you in the face." Big Chill grinned and Lancer took a runner's stance.
"Don't get cocky kid." He then leaps at big chill spear aimed at his heart. But he then passes through him. Lancer then dodges a bolt of lighting that causes a tree to explode in shards of wood.
"Hmm, let's see If I can slow you down a bit." Big chill that took a breath and exhaled bone-cold from his mouth.
"Guuh!" Lancer felt the cold biting his skin as the skill only affected projectiles, not gases. He still manages to keep moving from Caster's magic. "Time to for you to chill out." Big chill then goes fully transparent and flew through lancer. For a moment it didn't feel like anything to lance but then felt his limbs go numb and ice building rapidly on his body.
"Gah this is cold!" he groaned but he could still move. "Take this!" Caster yells and fires a furry of lighting at lancer.
"GAHHH!" Lancer felt the bolts burn his body as the attack landed.
"Caster I'll keep him still and you hit him with everything you got!" Big chill then let out of another breath, three times as cold. The breath frosted lancers hair and body. His movement was severely hindered but he could still fight.
'I can still-'
'Lancer do as I order you.' A voice calls out in his head.
'I will end this my way, you can just sit there and watch.' Lancer talked back as he hated his master's plan.
He then felt his movement go out of his control. 'With my command seal. I order you to finish this fight this the way I asked.'
'I hate you'
Runes then appeared on lancers body free him of his icy vice. "I am sorry but I am going to end this." His spear the glows a deathly red
"Master! Watch out!" Caster runs to Ben who was still intangible. Lancer then dashes at Big chill with immense speed. Ben was confident that big chill intangibility would reduce the effectiveness of the spear if Gray-matter was correct.
"Gae." Lance spear rocketed toward Big Chill who was ready but at the last moment, lancer changed his course and aimed his spear past him.
"BOLG" The spear darted around Big chill completely missing him.
For a second Big chill was confused as lancers spear would've just past through him. Then his eyes widened in fear as he turns to his side to see a sight of horror.
The one thing he tried to prevent all this time.
Caster was struck with Gae Bolg...An unavoidable death
"CASTER!" Ben transformed back and ran to his servant who was clutching the spear trying to prevent it from leaving her wound.
"Sorry" lancer muttered and yanked it out of Caster causing blood to flow out. Caster fell backwards but Ben caught her in time.
"Caster, Tamamo! Come on, I need to get you out of here!" Ben panicked, he needed to get her help, he needed to save her.
"M-master...Ben...it's too late." Caster coughed up blood using the last of her strength to stay alive.
"No Don't Say that! I can still save you!" tears began to run down Ben's face as he tried to deny the truth.
"Ben.." She then raised her hand and places it on his chest to feel his heart one last time.
"When you're in the dark, I will be your light...Ben, I love you. I forever..will...love..you." The caster then went limp and began to fade away. Ben cried as the one he love faded from his arms till there was nothing left but the blood on the ground.
Moments of Sadness goes by and lancer begins to leave…"Sorry, Master's orders." Ben was silent and lancer took it as the time to leave.
Then a green flash occurs behind him.
"Gah!" Lancer recoiled as he felt his left leg get cut. Lancer looks around and ben wasn't there. He then took a stance ready for the next attack but another blur goes by and another cut opened on his right leg.
"Haaah." Lancer's legs were now disabled, he can't run away.
Another two cuts on his to the torso that came out of nowhere, "Ok kid, I get it." He then looks in front of him to find a humanoid like a raptor-like being in a black bodysuit and helmet. Lancer then prepared for another slash as Ben ran at him but another green flash and lacer was slammed into multiple trees.
"Ok...The kid is now serious." Lancer hoisted himself up and looked up at the forearmed being towering him.
"She wanted a better life." Four arms then threw him many meters into a rock with a force that was bone breaking.
"She wanted a second chance!" Fourarms yelled as he leapt into the air and landed in front of a lancer. the blue lancer tries to strike back but his spear was grabbed and tossed away with immense force. He grabbed him again and brought him up to his face.
"But you took that all away!" He yelled as he threw lancer into the air. Ben then turned into Jetray and flew after him.
Lancer was completely overwhelmed as he Ben did not let him get his footing and now he was falling to the ground bloody and bruised. Then a green laser hit him forcing him to the ground even faster.
A loud boom came from lancers landing as it made a crater.
Lancer coughed up blood as he felt his bone fractures pierced his muscles. "Ok...I know I don't normally take this without a fight but I deserve it." lancer whispered. Jet ray then flew back down hit the ultimatrix one more time.
Ben was mad...no furious and there was only one form that could use that anger right now.
"RATH!" The humanoid tiger roared.
"LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING HOUND OF CU CLAIIANN, I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!" Rath then ran at him not giving lancer a chance to recover and shoulder check him into a tree.
"ARBURIAN TACKLE!" Rath then pinned lancer to at tree.
"RATH LOVED HER! RATH WANTED TO PROTECT HER!" Rath has beaten each word into lancer with heavy punches. "I WANTED TO GIVE HER THE LIFE SHE WANTED!" He then threw lancer into the ground so hard hit cracked the very earth around them.
"TALPADA GROUND POUND!" Lancer grunted as two fists slammed down on his back with ground quaking force.
"SHE WAS THE WORLD TO ME!" Rather then uprooted the nearby tree and held it with one arm. "GAAHHH!" Rath cried in rage as smashed the tree onto lancer making it snap into shards.
With that move, lancer was beaten, both in beliefs and in strengths. If anything was going to save him it would be his lowlife master. He felt is the ragged body being picked up by the shoulder and opened eyes to find that tiger looking guy with a single claw ready end him. Lancer lowered his head as he was defeated was ready to die. But then felt another pulse of a command seal and then was forced teleported out of the forest back to his master.
"NO! NO! GET BACK HERE! RATH WILL..I.I" Rath's rage then back to settle down as a wave of sadness poured over him. The ultimatrix then finally powered down with a red hourglass meaning that it would be a long recharge time. Ben fell to his knees and the tears returned. "Why...What did I do to deserve this?" Ben was destroyed, He just saw someone he loved die in his arms. With all the good he has done with the world, why did this happen to him?.
"Ben?" Sakura called out to the crying hero. She then walked over to him slightly careful as she just witnessed his rage. She kneeled to him and Ben looked up at Sakura, his eyes were hollowed out and nothing but sadness remained. Sakura knew that look all to well as she felt the same when she was taken away from her true family. Sakura gave him a shoulder for him to cry out in heartache. "I am so sorry Ben," Sakura whispered to the whimpering hero.
Ilya the hugged hug ben from the side hoping to bring comfort to ben. "I am sorry to Ben nii-chan."
Emiya estate.
Shirou was getting ready in his room while Saber waited outside, his wounds recovered and no damage to his circuits at all. He then sniffed the air but found no scent of breakfast being made.
'Odd, maybe they are having leftovers?' Shirou then left his room and walked to the living room with Saber.
"Shirou?"
"Yes, Saber?"
"Did something happen? The air feels...Depressed almost." Saber could sense that something was different like someone was missing.
"I dunno Saber." Both then entered the living room to find that breakfast wasn't plated or even made.
"Morning..?" Shirou now knew something was up. No one was making breakfast and Two people were missing from the table. "What's wrong?" Shirou asked as him and Saber both sat down.
"Senpai…" Sakura tried to speak but couldn't draw the words. Shirou knew something really bad happened and had to do with the two missing people: Ben and Caster.
"Onii-chan, Caster was defeated by Lancer." This brought pain to both Shirou and Saber.
"No.." Shirou shook his head, He couldn't believe it. The person that helped him and Saber countless time is gone.
"What about Ben?!" Shirou quickly asked in hopes that at least he was ok.
"Ben is ok, He nearly killed Lancer but his master used a command seal to retrieve him.," Ilya answered.
"But Ben is…" Ilya then looked down at the table.
"Emotionally destroyed" Sakura spoke up.
"It was the only way to beat him." Rin continued confusing Shirou.
"The only way? What do you mean, Tohsaka?" Shirou asked
"Ben is connected to others if you remember. His death would not go unnoticed so the only option is to take out his servant." Rin kept her calm but even she felt emotional as images of archer flash in her mind.
"Lancer's master must've known they were falling for each other so new option came up. Kill Caster and Ben would be emotionally defeated enough to not do anything else in the war." Shirou clenched his fist in anger, this was too much for him. To attack the one someone loves just to get them out of this war. A coward's way to win...
"This war has taken too much." Shirou talking from both his past and the present.
"Saber are you ok?" Sakura asked as Saber was silent.
"Saber?" Shirou looked at her. If there was anything that saddened Shirou more than this it was the fact that Saber herself was filled with sorrow.
"All she wanted was a life with someone who could love her." Saber was now filled with guilt as she felt like if she was there with them it may have come to a different conclusion.
"If only I had not left she may be still alive."
"Saber.." Shirou could feel the waves of guilt coming from Saber.
Saber then got up and left the room.
"Sorry I am still a bit tired Onii Chan" Ilya then left the room also even though she had a good nights rest.
"With Tamamo's death, that means the war should be over but we still have lancer and that Golden Archer to worry about." Rin tried to pick up the pieces and focus back on the War but she didn't have the heart right now to host a war room.
"I'll go check in with Kotomine, He has to have some answers," Shirou said leaving for the church trying to hold in his frustration.
Ben's room.
Ben sat in the chair his room face down on the desk, He felt like his heart was ripped out of his chest. He felt like a failure for letting Caster die and hated himself for abandoning her.
"I saved the world countless times before but I can't save the person I love? What kind of loser am I?" Ben threw his jacket across the room
Ben looked at the only picture he had of her on his phone, it was all he had left of her. He wanted to come home with him, let her live the life she wanted and redeem herself from her past. But now she was dead...
"Ben?" Saber knocks on the door
"Come in" Ben answered and she walked in.
"Ben, I am sorry about Caster I believe we all are." Saber then sat on the bed.
"She was a great ally, both of you lending us a hand in every fight and patching us up when we were down. But most importantly, She was someone I could call a friend." Saber was honest with her words as she felt ownership of the blame. Ben remained quiet as he was still filled with sadness.
"If there is any way I could ease your pain-"
"Ease my pain? You think you can do that!" Ben stood up from his chair, back facing Saber.
"If you hadn't run out last night She may be still alive but No you had to go seek the grail on your own!" Ben hissed with anger.
"Ben I-" Saber tried to tell him about her encounter with Gilgamesh with hopes of getting him to understand but Ben wasn't having any of it...
"JUST GO! You have done enough!" Ben shouted wanting to be left alone. Saber then left the room and ben Slammed the door with enough force that it echoed throughout the house.
"JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!" he shouted one last time.
Saber just stood there in sadness...A sensation she rarely felt but she felt like Ben was right...If she was there during there fight with lancer maybe things would've gone differently. She walks away with a heavy heart wanting to find Shirou to somehow ease this pain but ended up with entering Ilya's room to find Rin looking over her.
"Rin? What are you doing here?" Saber asks
"Just checking on her progress...Do you know what's going to happen to her?" Rin said while Saber shook her head.
"She is the host of the lesser grail. As the war goes on energy builds up inside her with each servant killed. So as long the Grail war rages on she will continue to break down. So far six servants are down..." Rin then ponders for a moment.
"What is it Rin?" Saber asked
"It's Just...Kotomine would've contacted us if there was only one servant left and come prepare the grail for retrieval at one of the leylines" For the past couple of day's the priest has been very quiet on his duties as overseer of the war. Also, Illya still has yet to shut down her human functions to contain the power
"I wonder if...Tamamo didn't 'count' for this war."
"Huh?"
"It's just a theory that I was wondering about since Ben got the eighth servant." It was a topic that always comes up to mind in the back of her head but never brought it up. Why did she come in the first place? it seems excessive to have more than seven servants and harder to keep under wraps from prying eyes.
"It's just very odd...I guess I'll have to ask Illya about it since the whole thing is based on Einzbern craft."
"So, you mean that her death was meaningless? then why allow ben to summon a servant in the first place?" Saber questioned more.
"That's my major question now..."
Ben then fell on his bed and sadness return as he realized what he had just done.
"This isn't me…"
"Why yes it isn't you but it still is," Paradox said appearing in front of him and ben felt a glimmer of hope.
"Paradox! I am glad your her I need you to-"
"Ben I can't prevent her death." Ben hopes were shattered. "B-but you're a time traveller! You said that you tried to make the timeline a better place".
"I did."
"But why can't you help me save her?" Ben pleaded, hoping that the Professor could help him.
"The only one who can save her is you, Ben," Paradox said the truth as he had to follow the rules.
"I can ease pain and suffering and do my best to prevent the bad outcomes but there some ends I cannot stop from coming to fruition. If you recall I have to follow rules,".
"So it hopeless! I couldn't stop lancer so how I am I going to save her now!" Ben said with anger and pain. Mostly targeted at himself rather than the professor.
"You can start by trying looking under your mattress."
"What?" Ben, for the moment, was taken out of his depressed state. "Is that why you're here for?"
"Well, you did admit that you can be a 'doofus' at times so I wanted to make sure you check under your mattress. ".
Ben got up and began running his hand between the bedspring and the mattress.
"Just for a reminder, I did copy the runes to legerdemain form a distance," Ben said while he searched. Then his hand found something and pulled it out. It was an envelope with his name on it, he flipped it over to see if there was anything else writing on it.
"Who put this here?" Ben wondered.
"Who do you think?" Paradox smiled.
Ben winded his eye realizing who it was from and opened the envelope up carefully like it was a letter from the president. There was a note on this inside folded up with the words: "To my loving Master." written on the side
Ben opened the note up and his eyes rapidly ran through each word.
Ben,
If you're reading this then I have fallen in battle. (or we won and I told you about this note) I understand that you must be in immense pain right now without me being there, by your side. But I want you to know that no matter what happened, it wasn't your fault. It was my duty to protect you and I know you would never let me die without a fight. This I know this to the fluff of my tail!*
Master, when I first met you I thought I was going to have to lie and hide the truth about my sins. You looked so handsome that I didn't want you to abandon me in fear. And embarrassingly I was the one that ran away in fear of you and what would come after as you are a hero. I thought humanity was still the same and felt hatred that night...But...You were different, instead of calling me a monster you took this fox in your arms. You listened to my wish of making myself better.
That was the night my wish came true. I found someone who would listen and care for me, that is what I wanted from the start.
I love you so much Ben even if we just met a few weeks ago, I feel complete with you!*
But right now I need you to do something, Don't let my death stop you from being who the person you are. Even if you feel lost and want to give up..DON'T! stop blaming yourself right now and get back out there or I will find you so I can give you a slap of reality. The Ben Tennyson I know wouldn't let he stop him from being the world's greatest hero! I know that even though we may be far apart, we will find each other again and trust me...I WILL find a way!
Now enough of me talking! Get back out there and be the man who you are and the one I love!
Your faithful Servant and lover,
Tamamo no Mae.
Ben looked up from the note and found one more thing inside. A picture of Caster in the dress for the dinner party, full fox appearance with words "Wait for me. Ok?".
Ben looked to his jacket on the floor, his what he considered to be his heroic symbol. He felt his determination light up once more in his heart as he realizes his fight isn't over...Not by a long shot. There was still a grail out there that could still fail into the wrong hands. Lancer and that gold Archer were still lurking about. The world was in danger still and here he was moping around when he should be out there doing what he does best!
Being a Hero.
He then felt a warmth in his chest as his will reinvigorated from the darkness. He looks to the professor and he just winks at him giving the hero a new goal.
Continue on this path...And she will be waiting along with it.
"What are you going to do Ben?" Paradox asked.
Ben smiled "Be the person I am. A Superhero!" then walked up to his jacket and put it on proudly. His worn heroic spirit was reignited thanks to Tamamo's words. He wasn't going to give up on who he is...He is Ben 10 and he knew in his heart if he sticks on this path Tamamo will be a long it waiting for him!
"Now, May I recommend heading for the church? " Paradox them warps out.
"The church? Wait a sec!" Ben thought for a moment "Shirou and Saber must be there!" He then Ran out of his room and to the front door nearly running into Sakura.
"B-Ben! Are you ok?" She asked surprised while Ben scrambled to get his shoes.
"Shirou and Saber may be in trouble, I got to go help them!" Ben gets his shoes on and is about to leave.
"Wait Ben are you?" Ben turns around to Sakura. "Yeah, I'm back in the hero game. Tamamo wouldn't want me to stay down and I don't plan to!."
"So is it?" Sakura smiled hoping to hear his famous words.
"It's Hero Time!" Ben smiled and ran out the door leaving a smiling Sakura.
"Nothing can keep that guy from being a hero. Eh?" Rin said walking up to sakura.
"He will never let something stop him. That is what's common between him and Senpai" Sakura smiled to Rin.
"More like they are both stubborn. But...maybe the world could use that."
"Did you just say something sakura?" Rin asked as she just heard a voice.
"No, Nee-san?" Sakura then walked out to check on taiga and Hakuno. Leaving Rin confused on who that voice was.
"Archer..?"
AN: Nothing much to say here but THIS is where the end begins.
