Rin was heading home for the day, having been ready to get this war started and win it.
Her home properly defended, Archer keeping an eye out for her, and already Rin was making plans to deal with the other Servants and Masters. Knowing the Einzebern family was already participating with their brute of a Servant, that guy Lancer, and while she hasn't confirmed it, felt the Matou's should have one since they always participate, despite their current failing as a magus family. So it came to a surprise when she heard Archer call her out and tell her, "That idiot and the old man are here?"
"Got it. Thanks." Rin put one hand in her pocket. A stone was there, and ready to be used. Just in case Shirou was up to something. Sure he seemed to be an amatur, but who knows, he might try attacking her. Best to be prepared.
Turning, she then saw Shirou heading toward her, along with the old man. The former looking a bit tired, indicating they rushed here while the old man seemed fine. After a bit, they caught up to her where she stood, just a bit away from her own house.
"T-Tohsaka." Shirou says, a bit out of breath. Having rushed here with Ozpin to catch up since school was over, and while aura was useful, with Shirou's still recovering aura, didn't help much in his endurance. "Nice to-hah-see you."
"Emiya." Rin narrowed her eyes. "Are you seriously here, walking up to me, like a normal person? Despite what you learned last night?"
"Uh...yeah." The worst part was, how innocent he genuinely sounded.
"Shall I kill him?" Archer then asked. A bit too eager to Rin's taste, but she was a bit tempted.
"No Archer." Rin then relented. "But keep an eye on them still, especially the old man." He was the more dangerous of the two here.
"Understood." While Archer got in position, Ozpin then spoke up while Shirou recovered from the running.
"Hello Miss. Tohsaka." He spoke politely. At least he had manners. "Now then, I suppose you're wondering why young Emiya and I are here?"
"Yeah." Rin gripped the gem in her pocket. "Because the way I see it, we are enemies. This is the Holy Grail War. And as Masters, we are naturally foes to one another."
"What?" Shirou then looks up at her. Eyes full of no lies. "But, why do we have to be enemies?' Can't we just be friends?" Ozpin slapped a hand over his face, Archer muttered a curse, and Rin rolled her eyes. Exactly what you expect from a guy who didn't even know about the Holy Grail.
"Really Emiya." Rin walks closer to him, but gets ready to punch him just in case. "As I said, this is a war. What makes you think we can even be friends? Surely that fake priest has told you what has to happen to Masters, right?" Shirou grimace, meaning he was told. He stood firm however, and didn't waver.
"Yeah. But that doesn't mean we have to kill each other. Maybe we can be, well, allies?" He then suggested, with Ozpin looking as if he approved.
Rin scoffed a bit, but did seem to lighten up. "You aren't wrong. I'll give you that."
Shirou looked pleased.
"However," Then frowned as Rin held a finger to his face. "You should know by now, that eventually we would have to fight. And even with Saber by your side, they'd be nothing against a fully trained magus like myself and a novicine like you leading them."
Valid points indeed. More so that there's the fact that Rin wouldn't even gain much from this so-called alliance. If anything, it was Shirou that gained more than her. Still, that didn't stop Shirou from trying.
"Even if you say that, surely working with us can help you out." He told her.
"Us?" Rin looked at Ozpin.
"I have decided to aid young Emiya on his journey to survive this Holy Grail War." The old man confirms he's helping Shirou. "Besides. It'd be bad if I, the mentor, left him."
"Mentor?" Rin glared at Shirou who flinched.
"Um, yeah. That." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Ozpin decided to train me a bit. It's worthwhile. Especially since he dealt with a bunch of skeletons."
"Skeletons?"
'Hm. Skeletons.' Archer already had a good idea who that was.
"It seems a Master may have been targeting us." Ozpin gives a few more details. How they had been on their way to the church, when suddenly they were attacked by big skeletons. He dealt with them though, and they continued on their way.
"I see. Sounds like maybe the Caster Class at work." Rin theorizes.
"Caster...Class?" Oh you have got to be kidding.
"Emiya." Rin took another step forward toward the teen, who took a step back. "You...You did ask Kotomine about the Classes. Specifics on the Servants, right?"
After a brief bout of silence, Rin moaned. "This," She then rubbed her head. "Is the Master of Saber." Still, while frustrating, Rin did feel something. Not just pity for this idiot being saddled in a deadly war. Instead, a potential. "Fine. I suppose I'll do it."
"Do it?" It took a second for Shirou to figure it out. "You mean, you'll join us?"
"Why not." Rin then gives a small smirk. "I suppose I feel bad if you went out and died because you didn't know any better. Plus, this alliance could be beneficial."
"Oh. Thank you Tohsaka." Shirou grabbed Rin's hand, who slightly blushed but quickly waved Shirou off and pulled her hand away.
"Yeah, yeah." Rin turns around, not wanting Shirou to see her face which was still slightly red. "I'll tell you and your teach all about the Servants and stuff."
"You have our thanks Miss Tohsaka." Ozpin thanked her, with Shirou being happy. Rin, now controlling her blush, turned back and put a hand on her hip, with Archer suddenly appearing by her side.
"Sure. Just show me your Saber and we can start this alliance."
"..."
"..."
Then, like before, only more awkward, silence came.
"Well." Rin then repeats herself. "Aren't you going to show me Saber?"
"Ahem. About that," Ozpin coughed, clearing his throat. "We have a slight complication."
"And what would that be?" Archer asks, now wondering what was up.
"Uh…" Shirou averted his gaze from Rin a bit. Feeling embarrassed with what he was about to say. "I…" He then decided to suck it up and just say it. "Haven't summoned Saber, nor know how to. Think you can help?"
Archer froze.
"..." Rin stayed silent.
Cheep. Cheep. Cheep.
A bird sung.
"..." Rin then turned around, and walked away from the duo. Not even speaking once with Archer quickly dematerializing. She kept on going until she reached her home, unlocked the door, then opened it. Then, just like that, she closed it.
Where outside her home were Shirou and Ozpin, who quickly realized one thing.
"So...you're not going to help us?" Shirou called out.
Click.
The door was then locked.
"My," Ozpin says as he could only lament on their misfortune. "It seems we may need another alliance." At least until Rin lets them back in, if she wished so. "Maybe we should return later?"
"Probably." Shirou is inclined to agree, as he's certain they messed up. "But what about the summoning?" Not like he knew how to do it. "I don't suppose you know how?"
"Nope." Granted, Ozpin did know of a certain family who could summon their own beings. Sadly, he didn't have that ability, and he doubted the Glyphs can summon an ancient warrior of the past. "We may need another method. But what?"
"Hmm." Shirou rubbed his chin, then snapped his fingers. "I have an idea. But...it's not perfect."
"No idea is a bad idea."
"Go! Go! Summoner Heroes!"
"Activate the summoning spell!"
"Red!"
"Blue!"
"Pink"
"Yellow!"
"Green!"
"Let's summon our heroes!"
"I stand corrected." Ozpin said as he watched the television series that was undoubtedly based for kids or teenagers.
"Shut it!" Shirou snided back, feeling a bit annoyed but knowing that what Ozpin said is true. Looking uncomfortable in his sofa as he watched the show. "This was the best I could think of." If there's one thing Shirou wished his father could have done, was give him better instructions on being a magus.
The magic spell the summoner heroes on television then dissolved, with Ozpin looking at the paper in his hand. He had drawn the circle. "Alright, I copied it."
"Good." Shirou gets up, and turns off his television. "I don't have magic books or ancient scrolls, so this will have to do." Ozpin said nothing, which made this feel worse. Yet it's true, as a no name magus, Shirou really didn't have any clue how to summon a Servant. His magecraft only went up to Reinforcement and Analyzing. Nothing more than that, and no way was he going to ask Kotomine. So, television was sadly the next thing.
The two then set to work, where they got a big sheet of paper from one of the closets in Shirou's home, and drew the magic circle on it. They then got some candles they bought (Shirou anyway since Ozpin had no money somehow), and began placing them in a position they felt was magical.
'This feels stupid.' Of course, both, especially Ozpin sure didn't feel they were doing anything magical, and felt more like a cult thing. For Ozpin, he also never recalled anybody back in the first humanity having to do this. Children's shows and books were completely out of order on what magic really was. The old man just hoping maybe this world accepted this as magic.
So after ten minutes of getting a circle ready, the two then looked at it.
"...you really don't know how to summon a Servant?"
"If I did, we would have avoided all of this."
Neither felt proud or assured this would even work. Yet this was all they had.
"Just one last thing." Shirou sighed, and put the offering he believed was needed. Udon.
"I'm sorry," Ozpin spoke up. "But...why that?"
"I'm not killing and putting a bloody animal in this house." A good reason more than others. So liked that, the two stood back and waited. After five minutes of being quiet, Shirou then spoke up again.
"We need to chant, don't we." He then heard footsteps going away.
"I wish you luck." Damn that bastard.
With gritted teeth, Shirou looked at his attempt at the summon circle, and sighed. Looks like he was really doing this. He hoped Kiritsugu wasn't watching him at this moment, because this was embarrassing already.
Clearing his throat, Shirou raised his hand with Command Seals and said, "By the power vested in me, and with these...offerings," Where Shirou then began giving his rather sad attempt at a chant, with Ozpin himself cringing. The chant lasted not even a minute, and soon ended. Nothing had changed, other than humiliating himself.
Ozpin sighed. "At least we can try aga-"
A great light then came from behind and blinded them.
"Oh my gosh!" Shirou yelled. That actually worked!?
The light blinded them for just a bit, but after a few seconds it receded where a big crash could be heard from outside. The Udon bowl is also gone from the summoning circle.
The two ran outside, where a rather horrible sight awaited them.
"My shed!" Well, for Shirou anyway as his shed was a burnt mess. Not noticing Ozpin's look of guilt, but decided to ignore the misplaced blame as the two then saw something-no-someone sitting in the mess. One who wielded two blades attached to her hips, and had white hair with an elegant blue kimono with soft clear eyes.
Slurp.
Where she was eating the udon in a very loud way.
Two pairs of disbelief eyes met one pair of other eyes.
The woman was now turning a bit red, and spent one minute quickly eating the udon. Once she finished, she threw the bowl on the ground which shattered. Much to Shirou's slight irritation with the woman herself realizing maybe she shouldn't have done that. Still, it was too late to take it back, and she then stood up and wiped her mouth. She then looked around, as if confused, then looked back at them.
"Are you my Master?" She then said in a serious tone, as if she hadn't destroyed the shed, ate in front of them, and broke the bowl. Still, if one ignored all that, this arrival must have meant one thing.
"You're Saber?" Shirou asked in surprise. Ozpin felt the same, as he thought a summoned Servant would give a more wonderful sense of awe than...this.
"Hey! Why did you say it like that?" the woman pouts, then her eyes widen as she stares at Shirou. "No way...Fujimaru?"
"Huh?"
The woman then stares at Ozpin. "And...Merlin? No, wait. Not as weird as him."
Okay, did they do something wrong? Ozpin was willing to bet it was the udon, with Shirou thinking the exact same thing. The teen begins to regret not using an animal as an offering. Heck, maybe he could have just let it live, cause nobody said anything about a blood offering. Though it was too late to change the past, as suddenly the woman then put both hands on her hips.
"Welp, no idea where I am this time. And no clue why you look like Chaldea's Master," Chaldea? "But," The woman then smiled. "Since I'm here, I may as well be your Servant. Miyamoto Musashi, at your service!"
"What!" Shirou shouts in shock to Ozpin's surprise. Not sure why Shirou acted like this. "M-Miyamoto Musashi!? But-"
"I'm a girl? Hell yeah I am!" The woman, the famed Musashi herself, then says, as suddenly she's in front of the duo.
'Fast.' Ozpin thinks.
"And now, I guess I'm your Servant so long as I don't suddenly disappear." She then gives a rather ambiguous statement.
"As long as you can-" Before Shirou could even question the woman, he then felt two hands wrap around his back and shove him onto her covered chest. Musashi smiled as she glomped on him.
"You're so cute!" He was practically the handsome gender bent version of her. She then looked at Ozpin and gave a small smile. "And you're not too bad-looking yourself." Not enough for her to drool all over like the little cutie here, but even she could tell he was quite attractive for his age.
"I ate very well and trained in most of my youth." One didn't become a strong Huntsman by doing nothing. Thus why Ozpin was more active than the average old person and could kick butt. Granted, his current age did slow him down a bit, but overall he's fine.
"Hehehe." Musashi likes the response, and lets Shirou go who breathes greedily for air, but blushes as he never felt something so...soft! "I think this is going to be fun. Isn't that right, Master."
"Y-yeah." Shirou says as he controls himself. Not wanting to act like a hormonal teenager. "I guess so, Saber."
"Come on." Saber elbows him playfully. "Call me Musashi."
"Um. Sure." Shirou had to admit, this was certainly a first impression he never thought to meet. Especially with the famed Musashi, whom he never considered would be a girl. Ozpin himself also amazed that this was a Servant. Like Lancer, she looked practically human and didn't seem so different from a normal person, aside from her clothes.
'Though,' Ozpin then thought. 'Why did she appear here, and not the room?'
Perhaps the summoning just went wrong, and she came here instead. Regardless, they now had a Servant that could help them. While they must later learn more of the other Servants, Masters, and these so-called Classes, this was a mighty first step for Shirou and Ozpin. The Holy Grail War truly has begun.
Archer had silently left Rin's side when he had the chance. The Wrought Iron Hero having felt something terribly wrong had been happening. An instinct that told him to watch Shirou, and see what was happening around him. The voice in the back of his head saying everything was wrong. At first, Archer thought he was being paranoid. I mean, after all these years, in servitude of being that entity's dog, he knew not all his memories of before were accurate. So he believed, no, fooled himself into thinking everything was good.
"This isn't right?" Or has it, as Archer used his superior vision to gaze a great distance away, to see Shirou Emiya, summoning not Altria,, the King of Knights, but instead, some weird woman that hugged Shirou into her chest. "What has changed?"
Shirou Emiya always summoned Saber. That was a fact, and something that should never change. The fate of the boy and the King of Camelot were deeply entwined, and nearly impossible to separate. Yet instead, something has gone wrong. A completely different Saber has appeared, changing everything he knew. All the doubts he had, now proven with this sight. Making him consider shooting an arrow at them, and ending it there.
Rin didn't have to know. Yet he couldn't as he knew that despite the shock from earlier, she still wished to be allied with that idiot. He should know. Archer has seen it before, time and time again.
Gripping his fist, Archer could only wonder if either he was in the wrong timeline, or…
"That old man." Consider the possibility this stranger is the reason for all this. Never once having recalled him, and realized that ever since his arrival, things have changed. From Rin taking Shirou to the church, to Illya attacking Shirou on the day. These events are happening when they shouldn't have at all, due to the actions of one man.
If so...then maybe he needed to be stopped.
It would be a shame, and by no means would Archer feel proud of it. But, he would if he had to. To end the agony and pain Shirou will one day go through, while wiping away his own existence. That was why the Archer Servant, EMIYA, is here for. And nothing would stop him from doing this.
Not Rin.
Not Shinji.
Not Sakura and Taiga.
Not Illya.
Not any of the Servants he knew from Berserker to that damnable Archer Gilgamesh.
And certainly not some old man who came out of nowhere, and started to change everything. Nothing would stop him.
Nothing at all.
I said a Saber, but I never said Altria. But who knows, maybe some weird thing will happen and she'll show up. I'm already messing the timeline up here with Ozpin appearing, so why not more. The only question I have to ask myself is this, 'How can she appear when all seven have been gathered?'
Oh well, I'm sure I can figure something out.