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

Risen from Ruins

Prologue

"Hello there."

The little girl in a cramped shelter patched together from cardboard looked up in surprise at the words of greeting, previously huddled in on herself to keep warm. All around, the rain fell from the grey and dreary sky, streaming down along the walls of the surrounding buildings, to puddle on the streets, roads, and alleys, or to simply gush down the gutters and into the drains.

The city's air matched the appearance of the sky above, people under umbrellas going past along the streets in silence, huddled into themselves for protection against the cold and the chill. Water splashed as vehicles of all kinds sped down the road, and dripped down from the overhangs partly-sheltering the alleys, down onto the homeless and the destitute in their shelters with what little belongings they had.

The man and the child stared at each other, their respective appearances in stark contrast with each other. The man's face was lined with age, but he looked healthy for all that, his hair well-groomed and his beard neatly-trimmed around his mouth, while his eyes shone bright with vigor tempered by wisdom born of life experience. And while his coat was worn and well-used, the clothes he wore underneath were clean and well-suited, while the gold and enamel pin on his tie spoke of high status and rank.

The girl though was pale and haggard, the silhouettes of her bones showing through her skin from hunger. Her hair was matted and unwashed, and her clothes scuffed, worn, and dirty. Dirt was smudged onto her face, and her fingers stained with mud and filth. Worst of all were her eyes, looking out onto the world empty and resigned without hope for the future.

The man smiled. "What's a pretty little thing like you doing here?" he asked.

"…please go away." The child murmured after a moment. "I just want to be left alone."

"Do you now?" the man asked. "Hmm…you know…my friends and I heard a story a while back, about a little girl running away from home because her family didn't want her. That's rather shameful, don't you think?"

The little girl stared, and then crept back deeper into her shelter, and huddled against the wall at the back. "Please go away." She repeated, louder but still very soft.

The man laughed before crouching down. "Oh sorry…it seems I gave the wrong impression." He said. "I didn't mean the little girl running away from home was shameful. It's that her family would just throw away someone as gifted and interesting as you are that was shameful."

"I…I'm not the one you're looking for." The little girl mumbled, keeping her eyes away from the man. "I…I don't have a family. I…never knew them."

"Hmm…" the man hummed, looking on as the little girl cried in silence, tears trickling down from her eyes over her cheeks. "It's alright. We completely understand. It's the same with Yggdmillennia, you see. We're the odds and ends of our kind, the little people in the background that the big people in center stage don't really see, and when they do see, it's only because and when it's convenient for them to."

The little girl stayed silent, but curiously glanced at the man after a few moments. "Yggdmillennia…?" she echoed softly, mangling the pronunciation with her accent and unfamiliarity with the name.

"That's right." The man said with a nod and a smile. "It means 'Tree of a Thousand Realms', because our family has so many branches, all working together for the good of all."

"…really?" the little girl asked.

"Yes." The man said with another nod. "The little people have to stick together, after all. It's the only way we can really be noticed, and avoid getting used or stepped on or just plain thrown away…or even all three, by the big people who only care for themselves. If we're to stand, then we need to do it together."

The little girl stared at the man with a mix of skeptical disbelief and reluctant fascination. Her expression didn't change as the man offered her a hand before continuing to speak. "My name is Edward Copeland Yggdmillennia." He said. "Would you like to become one of the Thousand Realms, little one?"

"…I…I don't know…I…"

"It's alright." Edward said with a nod. "I understand if you feel uncertain. There's nothing to be ashamed of about that. It's only natural, when you know so little about us, and when you're also one of the little people. Trust me, I know. It's second nature to us, to not be seen at all, much less rocking the boat, or the big people will come down hard on us. But don't worry…I can tell you this much: all that will happen is that you'll add our name to yours, and you'll be all you can be."

"All…I can be…?" the little girl echoed.

"Yes," Edward said, his hand still extended. "And no one will ever not want you again. So how about it, little one?"

"I…"

Edward stayed silent, smiling and with hand extended, looking on as the child fidgeted in her shelter, looking and sounding uncertain on what to do. Eventually, she turned to face him, carefully crept closer, and then…

Thirteen years later

"Look…it's a Stymphalian…"

Shirou Emiya blinked at the reference to Greek mythology, and turning away from the ongoing duel in front of him, turned instead in the direction of where several fellow Clock Tower students were muttering and murmuring while glancing or staring at something else. To Shirou, it looked like a large mechanical raptor of some kind, only made from gleaming bronze or some other yellow-colored alloy, though he did a double-take as he saw the raptor's body was clearly just a shell of some kind.

Large portions of the underside were exposed to the open air, essentially just a skeleton or lattice of alloy through which a roiling mass of violet light could be seen. That same violet light burned balefully through the raptor's eyes, albeit focused to near-laser brightness.

Regardless, it was very well made, the feathers each individually crafted before being attached to the body, which despite its hollow and visibly-artificial design was very lifelike for all those. Shirou didn't like what his abilities let him see about its bladed wings, talons, and beak, though. The raptor design wasn't just for aesthetics' sake, oh no.

When the familiar – or automaton, he wasn't quite sure which it was – was used in battle, then it killed like a raptor was expected to.

Not necessarily a bad thing…but only if the raptor was doing so simply out of its own nature. In the familiar/automaton's case, there was deliberation behind the brutality of its design.

"Stymphalian…?" Shirou thought. "Obviously a reference to the Stymphalian Birds of Greek mythology…and they certainly look the part…now, I wonder who's behind them."

Shirou blinked as he heard cheers and more from the rest of the audience, and seeing the duel between Rin Tohsaka and Luviagelita 'Luvia' Edelfelt come to an end, rushed forward to help. As he approached, he could see that both young women were heaving on their backs against the ground, covered in scuffs and scrapes, and muttering and snapping half-hearted insults and compliments to each other.

Clearly, they'd started to gain more than a bit of respect for each other. Technically a good thing, but…

…looking around the battered and broken ring, Shirou sighed in exasperation.

"Couldn't they have earned each other's respect without going this far?" he silently asked no one in particular.

Then Shirou blinked, and looked up at the sound of a raptor's cry. There, circling overhead, was the so-called Stymphalian, which circled twice more for a total of three times, and then beating its metallic pinions, flew off into the depths of the Clock Tower.

"…looks like we caught Yggdmillennia's attention." Shirou heard Luvia remark with a slightly disparaging touch. "Good…that should teach that band of upstarts how true magi and nobles defend their stations."

"Yggdmillennia…?" Rin echoed next to Luvia, and struggling to sit up a moment later. "If I remember right, they're supposed to be a guild or alliance of minor clans and houses, aren't they?"

"…they are." Luvia agreed after a moment's thought while also struggling to sit up. "In practice, at least. On paper, they claim to be one big family, the so-called 'Tree of a Thousand Realms'. I'd be very surprised if more than a tenth – if even that – of their scions are actually related to each other, though."

"So it's just talk on their part?" Rin asked.

Luvia looked at Rin strangely for a long moment, and then getting up, offered Rin a hand to help her stand with. Rin stared at it in surprise, and then taking it, let herself be helped up to her feet.

"Hmm…so Yggdmillennia wasn't lying, was she?" Luvia asked.

"About what?" Rin asked.

Luvia didn't answer at once, and instead looked around the arena. The audience had begun to disperse, but there were still plenty of people around. "Not here," she said. "Let's talk about this in private. You too, Shero."

"Huh, what?" Shirou stammered in surprise at being addressed so, but quickly recovered. "Oh uh…sure. Just lead the way."

"Let's start off by removing and all misconceptions." Luvia said, seated across a table from Rin in a private room. "Do you mean to say that your family has never had any dealings with the Yggdmillennia in the past?"

"No, of course not." Rin immediately said. "We have no reason to interact with much less make any dealings with the Yggdmillennia. While I wouldn't say we're particularly important beyond what's expected of a family with a hereditary position of Second Owner, as well as our founder having been an apprentice of the Second Magician, we're not so desperate or ambitious or even both as to band with depleted bloodlines and scrabbling households to hold onto what little we have left, or to reach above our station."

"…subtle…real subtle, Tohsaka." Luvia said with a roll of her eyes. "A very interesting way to boast, you truly have."

Rin rolled her eyes in her turn, only to be beaten to the punch by Luvia. "Not to mention," she said. "Are you really one to talk about banding with depleted bloodlines? As I recall, one of your oldest allies is the Matou Clan. Aren't they supposed to have completely withered?"

"Only in the present generation." Rin quickly shot back. "At the time the alliance was forged, the Matou were a vibrant and flourishing clan of magi, worthy of respect and acknowledgement."

"A fair point." Luvia conceded, and then leaned back as maids arrived with tea and sweetmeats. All conversation stilled as china and silver were laid out, and tea was poured for all. Then the maids were bowing out, and the conversation resumed.

"In any case," Rin continued. "From what I've heard of Yggdmillennia, they have improper if not rather heterodox opinions on established doctrine. In particular, when it comes to sharing secrets and methodologies between their branches."

Luvia snorted at that. "The same could be said about the Mages Association, could it not?" she asked.

"Not really," Rin disagreed. "The Association is an educational institution, with knowledge-sharing done on a scholarly basis with proper safeguards and regulation in place. To my knowledge, no such thing exists within Yggdmillennia."

Luvia tapped her fingers several times against the table in thought. "Charitably-speaking," she finally said. "I would say this line of thought and conversation to be delving into matters too heavily dependent on hearsay and assumption to be continued by individuals such as ourselves."

"In other words," Rin said with a small smile. "Let's not act like gossiping housewives, shall we?"

Luvia smiled in agreement, and raised her teacup in a small toast. Rin returned the toast, and took a drink together. Then, setting down her teacup, Luvia took a silver bell sitting on the table, and gave it a gentle shake. A moment later and a maid was entering the room.

"You called, my lady?" she asked with a polite curtsy.

"Bring me the file on Tohsaka Yggdmillennia." Luvia commanded.

"Yes, my lady." The maid said with another curtsy.

Rin, who was taking another drink of her tea, choked at the mention of that name. As it was, it all she could to avoid spitting it out, and after several moments recovering (helped by Shirou rubbing her on the back), she focused back on Luvia with a look of shock on her face.

"SAY WHAT?" she all but shouted.

"Volume, Tohsaka." Luvia chided while taking a drink of her tea. "As to your question…Tohsaka Yggdmillennia arrived two, maybe three years ago. Surprisingly though, she came from Romania. Apparently, she'd been raised in their home city of Trifas."

"Why is that surprising?" Shirou asked. "I mean…like you said, that's their home city."

"Because only the most powerful and promising scions actually live and are trained at Trifas." Luvia said. "Most of the so-called Thousand Realms are scattered across the world."

"And?" Rin asked with narrowed eyes. "This…pretender…what was she like? Considering our family's history, cousin, I'm sure you approached her."

"Cousin?" Shirou asked in surprise.

"I'll explain later." Rin said, before looking back at Luvia. "Well…?"

Luvia just smiled. "Why yes, as a matter of fact, I did approach her." She said. "Interestingly, she has the Edelfelt look, just as much as you do. She also admitted being of your family…once."

"Once…?" Rin echoed in confusion.

Luvia hummed an affirmative. "She said she was an outcast, but she refused to elaborate." She said. "I've tried to look into her past further, but I've largely been met with dead ends, sadly enough. And while we are acquainted with each other on speaking terms, we don't really rub shoulders very much."

Luvia paused and looked thoughtful for a while. "Curiously," she said. "She's with the Department of Spiritual Invocation…how strange is that? If she's one of us, wouldn't her skills lie in Jewel Magecraft, and thus she should be in Mineralogy? Or Creation even, with those Stymphalian automatons of hers. Hmm…"

Both Rin and Luvia lapsed into thoughtful silence, broken a few minutes later by a knock on the door. "Enter." Luvia commanded.

The door opened to allow a maid to enter, a file resting on a tray. "The file on Tohsaka Yggdmillennia, my lady." She said with a curtsy.

"Excellent," Luvia said with a nod before gesturing to Rin. "Bring it to Tohsaka, if you please."

"Yes, my lady."

Rin raised an eyebrow but stayed silent, and just took the offered file with a grateful nod at the maid. The maid curtsied and left, and then Rin opened the file. Her eyes all but popped out of her skull at the sight that met her on the first page.

"THIS IS…!"

A/N

Wow, it's been over a year already. Oh well, update time. Let's take this a bit slower, instead of just throwing stuff into the reader/s' face/s. Let's add in Rin (is suffering) and Shirou for flavor, and voila.