Fate Grand Apocrypha - Standard Bearers
Chapter 05 : Aftermath
Author's Note : I am miraculously still continuing this story. I wasn't really confident at first because my writings are horrendous, maybe you've noticed it by now, but this story is filled with dialogues. It's because i suck at writing description, my description is minimal and kinda sub-par. I hope you guys don't mind. I'll try to improve as i go along.
Well, what i'm trying to say is : i'm glad i decided to post this story, i actually wanted to post this story on April 4th, the very same date where i rolled my first copy of Jeanne Alter back in 2018 on FGO NA. But alas, my nerve got the better of me. Four days later i finally decided to just post it and see where it goes from there. And now, here we are, on the 5th chapter of this story. Seeing people's response for my story is a new feeling for me, i kinda like it. I'll try to update as often as i can, but no promise! Sometimes college can really be brutal towards me, you know.
Enough of that rambling from me, you're not here for that. Sorry about that. Enjoy the story.
Disclaimer : I don't own Fate, Type-Moon does.
In a certain church utilized by the Red Faction as a meeting point, stood a white haired priest and the Hero Charity, each facing the opposite direction from each other. They were discussing matters relating to the Grail War, before finding themselves being interrupted by Rider and Archer of Red's arrival.
"Welp, they've captured Berserker, nothing we could've done about it. He just ran in by himself." The green haired Rider announced.
"There was no way to save him, we were outnumbered." Archer added in.
"If you say so, i will not doubt you." The priest said with a nod. "Is there anything else you can share?"
"...Anything else? Uhh..." Rider tried to think of something.
"You were referring to the two Servants accompanying Ruler, weren't you?" Archer inquired.
"Indeed, their movement needed to be monitored, they are an unknown variable. A wild card that if we manage to sway to our side, it would tip the scale of balance in our favor."
"Oh, them! Yeah, we saw em' on our way back, heading deeper to the forest. Dunno if they noticed our presence or not, they looked like they were in a hurry." Rider answered.
"One of them is a little girl..." Archer muttered.
"What was that, ane-san?" Rider asked, raising his eyebrow at her.
"N-Nothing!" She denied with a slightly reddened cheeks. "It's just that their appearance, it's very strange. They looked very similar to Ruler."
"Yeah, if i didn't know any better, i'd say that they're just a trio of sisters having a fun family trip." Rider offered his thought.
"Similar?" The priest turned to face Karna. "I don't believe you have mentioned this in your report before, Lancer."
"I didn't think it was a pressing matter at the time, i apologize. What matter to me is that they were ready to face me despite knowing my identity." Lancer calmly explained.
"Oho, so they're strong! Maybe i could get a good fight outta them, make things interesting!" Rider pumped up his fist with excitement.
The priest shook his head. "That would be unwise. They are not our enemies, we should try to convince them to join us instead, we need someone to fill in after Berserker's loss."
"That's right." Archer agreed. "I won't allow you to harm the little one, Rider!" She warned with a stern glare.
"R-Right, sorry about that, ane-san."
"I think trying to convince them is a waste of time, they are fiercely loyal to Ruler. I can see it, there's a strong bond between them, they will not be easily swayed." Karna said his opinion.
"It won't hurt to try, if any of you meet them later on, do not engage and try to ask them to join us, or at the very least, try to gain any information from them. It could prove useful in the long run." The priest declared.
"Fine, fine. I'll play nice." Rider said as he holds up his hand and sighed.
"Understood." Archer stated. 'Children shouldn't fight on the Holy Grail War. It's better if she join us, that way i can ensure her safety.' She thought, her face determined.
"...Fine, if that is all then i will take my leave." Karna stated, as he disappeared into his spirit form.
Meanwhile, in the Black Faction's dungeon, Astolfo were having some 'quality time' with his Master. His arm being held up and stabbed to the wall with a metal stake.
"Ow, ow, ow! Do we really have to do this? I need these hands to swing my lance around." He painfully groaned as his Master forcefully pushed the stakes even further, drawing more blood.
"You shut your mouth, you damn Servant! We almost lost Saber, and you didn't even try to stop him! He almost killed himself because you let that damn Homunculus escape!"
Astolfo chuckled weakly. "It's not my fault. That was his own choice! Ruler stepped in so it all works out in the end, right?"
She gritted her teeth and gave the stake one more rough push to silence Astolfo, he screamed in pain at that. Satisfied for now, she exited the cell and slammed the gate shut. Muttering "Damn Homunculus!" Over and over again as she walked out.
"Owie... She's so mean!" He winced.
Archer of Black suddenly materialized in front of Astolfo. Here to check on his comrade.
"Sorry, i should've done something." Archer offered his sympathy.
"Don't worry about it, i should thank you instead, you didn't rat me out back then."
Archer waved it off with a smile. "Will the boy be okay? His body is already weakened enough, he wouldn't last long on the outside world."
"Yeah, that little Lancer already took care of him. He should be healthy enough to live out his life normally. Ruler said that they would take care of him too, so i wouldn't worry about him."
"You've talked with them for a while, right? What were they like?" Archer asked, curious about the two new addition.
Astolfo looked like he was pondering something for a moment, before he answered with grin. "They're an interesting bunch, that's for sure!"
In a lavish room inside the Black Faction's castle, Gordes were in the middle of reprimanding his Servant, Siegfried.
"You damned buffoon! Why can't you do anything right?!" He said as he punched Siegfried on the face. Siegfried took it all without even flinching, his sharp eyes locked on his Master. The glare from the Dragon Slayer actually unnerved Gordes a bit, he unconsciously took a step back in fear of Siegfried's retaliation. He never seen his Servant with such a serious expression before, usually Saber only has a neutral stare.
"A-Are you even sorry for punching me in the gut? And for what? A mere Homunculus! I can't believe this!"
"...I apologize, Master. But at the time you were too furious to see reason, you were about to kill the boy, i had no other choice. That Homunculus was special, he gained a degree of self awareness and tried to escape on his own. I thought we could have captured him and see if we can have further use for him. It turned out that i was right, you can ask Caster about how important that Homunculus was." Siegfried calmly explained with a clenched fist. He has just done something that he hated, lying. But at the moment his objective was to help Sieg free the other Homunculus, and for that he needed to make sure his Master didn't try anything to ensure Siegfried's absolute obedience. He decided to combine Caster's claim about the boy being a suitable Core with his cover story.
Gordes crossed his arm, still angry at his disobedient Servant. But hearing Siegfried's explanation calmed him down somewhat. "Hmph, is that so. Then i will ask Caster about this matter later on. You stay here and reflect on your action." He turned around to leave the room, leaving Siegfried to his own device.
'You asked me what my wish for the Grail was back then yet i have no answer to that. But now, perhaps i do have one...'
"My lord, why did you let those foolish Servants go? We could have captured the Homunculus!"
"Calm yourself, Darnic. That Avenger was right, the Homunculus was not worth it. There were 3 of them for us to face, one of them being Ruler, who have Command Spells that could give us a huge disadvantage. Caster was the one who needed the Homunculus as a core, yet he is the one most vulnerable among us. Obtaining the Homunculus but losing Caster means our effort will be in vain."
Darnic has no retort to his Servant's reasoning, finally conceding to Lancer's point. 'I thought we could have used them, but i was wrong! That Ruler would never join us, and as long as she won't then the other two will follow her!'
"On the matter of our Assassin, what happened to Assassin and their Master?"
"Assassin's Master, Sagara Hyoma was found dead. However it doesn't seem like it was the Association that killed him. Perhaps that Avenger accompanying Ruler is responsible." Darnic explained as he also tried to pin the blame.
"That remains to be seen, and what about that captured Berserker of Red, Spartacus?"
"We probably can re-contract him. I plan to send him to battle with Caster as his Master. If we're lucky, he could kill that arrogant Avenger for us."
"Hmph, it seems you have developed quite the grudge against her."
"I apologize my lord, i just cannot stand her insolence. She talked a big game but hides under the protective banner of Ruler."
"That is well and all, but remember, she is not our enemy. Our main priority is to defeat the Servants of the Red Faction."
"...Understood." Darnic decided to comply for the time being. It would be unwise to go against the order of his Servant for now.
Back with the Jeanne sisters, they are now discussing about their next move regarding Sieg.
"Now, what to do with you..."
"We could teach him about the necessary skill that he would need to survive on his own! Anything you want to know? Just ask me! Don't be shy." Lily offered.
"...Why are you dressed like that?" Sieg asked as he stared at Lily's... unique sense of fashion.
"Oh, this? This is my Santa getup! It's a bit on the risque side because future-me wanted to impress Reindee... Ahem, a certain someone back then." Lily explained, not at all bothered by her slightly exposed skin.
"Well excuse me for trying to gain an edge over my rivals! The competition is fierce you know! You snooze you lose! If that dumb King can become a Santa then so can i!" Alter shouted with a face that is as red as tomato.
'Wow, so it's not just her. Their Master must be really popular back on Chaldea...' Jeanne observed, she then put her hand on Alter's shoulder, giving her an encouraging look. "I'm rooting for you, Alter!" Alter can only gave a dumbfounded stare. Momentarily stunned by the Saint's supportive tone. Alter remembered another thing her 'older sister' once said.
"From now on, Master is part of our family! Say hello to your new older brother, Alter, Lily!"
'They're so similar, yet so different at the same time. What exactly caused them to be so different? Was it the class change?' Is becoming an Archer finally removed all inhibition from her?' Alter pondered on about her original-self, who is unintentionally causing her to feel awkward about Master. Having feelings for her own 'brother' makes her feels uncomfortable, so she always denied the idea of making Master her brother.
"So Sieg-kun, how are you feeling now?" Lily asked her new companion.
"I feel better than ever, i can breathe more easily now..." He answered while putting his hand on his chest.
"Oh, that's a relief! My Noble Phantasm is not always reliable, so i'm glad it turned out okay this time." Lily looked happy, that means her present saved a life, a far cry from the presents that she gave out when she started her journey as a Santa.
Jeanne smiled at that. "You ought to remember that feeling, to live is to endure hardships and occasionally suffer. But if you remember this sensation, it should give you the courage to keep going."
"Occasionally, huh? This coming from someone whose happy moments in life is strictly from her childhood." Alter interjected.
"I gave my life for the sake of the people and my country. I have no regret." Jeanne said. Standing firm about her choice in life.
"If you say so." Alter said with a shrug, turning her back away fron Jeanne. 'No point arguing about it now. Ever since the brat appeared, the Saint back home looks far happier then she has ever been. Even more so after that Servafes, where she openly claimed us as her own siblings.' She gives a short glance at Jeanne. 'You said that you have no regret, but i know better. You misses your family, you feel homesick. You can hide it under a mask of acceptance all you want from everyone else, but you can't lie to yourself, not from me, and not from the brat either...'
"What's wrong, future-me? You looked like you're deep in thought."
Alter waved it off. "It's nothing, just the burden of being a Saint."
"...Huh?" Lily said with her head tilted, confused about her future-self's dismissal, Alter returned her attention back to the conversation between Jeanne and Sieg.
"By the way, could that be Rider's sword? Jeanne asked Sieg, who is holding a sword with golden hilt and white scabbard in his hand.
He nodded while looking at the sword. "He gave it to me when i needed it." He answered.
"Hee, that's a pretty nice sword. Not as fancy as my Arahabaki and Black Mamba, but still a good sword nonetheless." Alter hummed while rubbing her chin.
"Excuse me, your what and what?" Lily asked, not recognizing those names.
"My Arahabaki Nanajuuni Sen and Black Mamba." Alter repeated.
"That doesn't really clear anything..."
"You know, those two katanas that i wield as a Berserker."
"As a... Berserker?" Jeanne asked, wondering what they meant by that.
Lily can only stares blankly at her future-self. She didn't say anything, but her judging stares can be felt by Alter.
"W-What? You got anything to say?"
"Are... are you serious with this? Another ridiculous name from you?! Why is one named in japanese and the other in english?! I don't understand you!"
"I don't have to explain my awesome names to you! You wouldn't understand it anyway."
"...If i remember correctly, you have 3 katanas didn't you? Did you gave the third one a name too?"
"I sure did, i barely used it though. I only needed the first two, the last one is a backup. I don't want to dirty it with the blood of my enemies."
"What's it called?"
"...You know maybe we shouldn't-" Alter tried deflecting the question, but she found her hand being gripped by Lily.
"What. do you. calls it?" Lily asked once again with a menacing tone, almost as if she was growling.
Alter gulped. "...M-Marufuji Type-0."
"Is that... is that an anagram of Master's last name with you slapping a random number designation on it?"
"...Yes." Alter hesitantly answered, preparing herself for Lily's outburst.
"...No, at this point maybe i should just stop. You're clearly a lost cause." Lily remarked as she gave an exasperated sigh.
"H-Hey!" Alter took offense to that
As the two continue to bicker with each other, a confused Sieg decided to ask Jeanne. "Ruler, what are they doing?
Jeanne let out a short giggle while covering her mouth. "Hehe, don't worry about them. It's just a routine that they kept on doing."
"They do this often? Do they hate each other?"
"Of course not, quite the opposite. They do it because they are close with one another."
"But i don't understand. They are shouting at each other, their tone indicate hostility. How can that be called 'close'?"
"Because that's how humans are, we are a complex being. Our action may indicate something, while meaning the opposite of it."
As Jeanne and Sieg talked, Alter playfully put Lily in a headlock, while she struggles to free herself, she tickled Alter to loosen the headlock, the Avenger trying and failing to hold her laughter.
"Alter may act harsh and uncaring towards Lily, but its because she is too embarrassed to admits it, her pride getting in the way of showing her affection. But i've seen the way she puts all the spotlight towards herself, she would rather take the risk and endanger herself rather than let Lily fight and endanger herself as well, it's all to give Lily a chance to escape if things goes wrong." Jeanne explained as several moments flashed in her mind.
"So, are we going to duke it out or what?"
"If you think losing one or two Servants over some dumb Homunculus is an acceptable loss, then go on ahead!"
"I won't hesitate to kill women and children, maybe i'll kill all of you Masters before your Servant could do anything about it!"
"Who... is Alter?" Sieg asked with a tilted head, not knowing anyone with that name.
"Ah, sorry. That's what i call Avenger." She smiled sheepishly before continuing.
"Meanwhile, Lily may acts as if she finds Alter as the most embarrassing thing in existence, always criticizing her action. But it shows that she cares and want Alter to improve herself. Their coordination with each other is impeccable. The way Alter stopped Siegfried, and Lily understanding her plan immediately without any words exchanged between them. Alter stopped Siegfried precisely because she is confident that Lily could took care the rest of it. It shows that they truly trusted each other, a testament to the strong bond that they shared with one another."
"How do you know about all of this, Ruler?"
"Because i were like that once with my siblings. We do not always get along, but when times are tough, we band together to solve it for the sake of our family. I loved them all, and they all loved me back. In my last moment, one of my finals thoughts are about them..." Jeanne spoke with a forlorn look in her eyes.
"I see, i still don't quite understand how it works, but i think i get why they are the way they are now."
"That's fine, you can learn about it slowly. Just like Rider said, one day you'll find someone that you can love as well." Jeanne said as she patted Sieg's head. He doesn't really understand the gesture, but appreciates it nonetheless.
The two Alters are just about done with their 'fight'.
"Dammit brat, you get mad at the pettiest stuff!" Alter spoke as she dusted herself off.
"Hmph, the only good thing now is that i would never hear those names ever again because you got rid of those katanas ever since Servafes."
"Oh i wouldn't be so sure about that, brat." Alter said as a golden card-like object materialized on the palm of her hand. On it is an image of a feral horned humanoid with a goat for a head wielding a huge blade.
"Isn't that...!"
"Yep, one of those Class Card those magical girls used in battle. Pretty neat huh?"
"Class Card? What can you use it for, Alter?" A curious Ruler asked.
A smug smile formed on Alter's lips. "Heh, take a wild guess..."
Those are the real name for Alter's katana, i kid you not! I got it from her Berserker version's profile. Except for the last one, i made that one up. She only gave names for two of them for some reason. As for that Class Card, added that one for fun. I plan to change it a little bit.
I'll see you next time.