Thanks for the support! Wow, I didn't expect more than 100 follows in just 24 hours. It's unbelievable.
Anyway, I know some of you might think there are a few parts identical to my previous fic. It's actually the other way around since it was a practice for this one! Besides, I wanted to indicate the divergence, since the development of Shirou would be entirely different.
PS. The Fuyuki Fire was a lot more devastating in this world due to certain events. I'll only state this for now.
Here we go!
Angels and Priests
One Month after the Fuyuki Disaster
For one adopted Shirou Kotomine, All the World's Evil was not injustice. No, for him, even while he stood face to face with Absolute Evil, he still couldn't help but feel that 'It' wasn't injustice.
While he did experience the horrendous torment caused by the fiery hell of tainted mud, no, precisely because he experienced it...he felt great regret that he couldn't help his 'twin' achieve his awaited birth. Yes, his twin. That was the most appropriate phrase.
What is evil? What is injustice? How are they different? Why did he think so?
The young boy kept thinking while he lay on the chained bed he was confined upon, partially because he had nothing else to do other than try to count the countless magic circles engraved on the ceiling, invisible to the non-mage eye. He had stopped around the count of 1313 until he noticed that the patterns shifted over time, thus changing the volume of the circles. He almost laughed out loud.
Was being born as Evil wrong?
Shirou thought back to that fated day. The great disaster of Fuyuki, it was called. A disaster that resulted in the gruesome death of precisely 13'131 people, an unfathomable phenomenon where their carcasses were burned black, yet somehow, all managed to miraculously retain their humanoid form.
The populace called it the most tragic and nightmarish disaster to ever hit Japan. Shirou called it his birthday.
For Shirou, the true injustice of this all was the fact that humanity had been so weak. So grossly dependant on the act of shifting the blame onto others, that they managed to give birth to 'It' in the first place. Humanity was the ones who pillaged from 'It' the right of simply being born.
'It' was simply there because humanity had wished for it to be as it is; the Evil where all evil assembles, the root of all things to blame. Yet, they had thrown away and sealed him up into the abyss of long-lost memories, not once reflecting on their crimes.
Crimes that they intentionally chose to commit at the bottom of their hearts. Crimes that they made themselves believe that they weren't their own.
No, being born as Evil itself will never be a crime, for it is merely a result of humanity balancing its karma.
Therefore, humanity needed to learn how to stand up for themselves. Salvation should ultimately be achieved only through their own hands.
To think that Christ had not only burdened upon himself the Seven Deadly Sins of the True Demons, but also blessed all with mercy, showered all with everlasting, unconditional love...
It made Shirou sick to the very core.
'The martyr sacrifices themselves entirely in vain. Or rather not in vain; for they make the selfish more selfish, the lazy more lazy, the narrow narrower.'
Shirou shook his head with a sigh as he remembered the words the strange pink-haired nurse had thrown at him when she asked what he thought about humanity as a whole- out of the blue, nonetheless.
"If you want to be truly in charge, not only should you carry out the proper measures yourself, but see that everyone else does so too...huh."
However, Shirou must admit that her words did help ease the rage he hid within. Thanks to her, Shirou had reached his conclusion. He must elevate the level of humanity, to make them transcend the primitive realm that has shackled them since the stone age.
"I'm overjoyed that you kept my words in mind."
A pink-haired woman dressed in the clean white attire of a nurse strolled into the room. She eyed the chains binding her patient to the bed for a few seconds, then nodded with a smug smile.
"And I'm also very pleased that you decided to heed my advice."
Oh, and yes, she was the one that shackled him to this bed. Shirou's eyebrow twitched.
He has been minding his own business, on his way to the groceries after helping out several elderly men clean the park. Then, she was there. A random pink-headed beauty with blood-red eyes that charged at him faster than a sportscar. Literally.
She had kidnapped him by picking him up in bridal style, and chucked him into her 'extensive care room'. Shirou was miffed when she explained that this was a 'necessary process of restraining a mentally disturbed patient'.
"As if I had any other choice...you threatened to, and I quote; to jam a grenade into my mouth if I tried to sneak out of this...accursed room."
The nurse looked at him in the same way a stern mother scolds her child that was having a tantrum.
"I had to make sure that you didn't have a case of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Shirou. You see, I'm somewhat a professional in the battlefields."
"You're an...army nurse?"
The nurse smiled. While he was somewhat irked by the fact that a nurse had stripped him to a bed against his will, and was also annoyed by her eccentric behavior, he had to admit that she looked indeed like an angel of the battlefield- a woman of steel determination to save the weak.
"You can say...I'm a survivor of two wars. One before, the other after my death."
"How does that even fit into the definition of surviving...?"
The nurse ignored his mumbling and started to check his vitals. Shirou rolled his eyes in exasperation.
"It has already been a month since the Fuyuki disaster. I was already given the green light from several medical professionals, and from one executor of the Holy Church."
The nurse continued to ignore him. Shirou gritted his teeth in frustration.
"What happened to the Hippocratic Oath!? The one where it says thou shalt not harm thy patients!?"
"I must admit that some parts are indeed hypocritic. While I'm not a fan of forcing, some level of Paternalism must be ensured for your Quality Of Life."
"Like hell it does!"
"Hmm...signs of rude behavior...lashing out...contradictory to the reports from the nearby elderly about the patient being 'a holy angel' and 'always most gentle and considerate despite his tragic past'."
"What the...how...you asked the grandmas living nearby Fuyuki Church!?"
"Hmm...this must be it. A paradoxical mentality that allows you both to hate and love humanity at the same time. Your 'family'...being a priest that participated in the fourth war...a possible servant incarnation...yes, they must've meddled with you or plan to in the near future..."
The woman continued to mumble to herself as she scribbled down notes on a carte. With a sharp nod, she raised her head and stared into Shirou's eyes.
"Tell me about your past month as the adopted child of Kirei Kotomine."
Shirou narrowed his eyes. He already had a good guess at what this woman truly was, and he wasn't taking any chances.
"What does that have to do with you?"
"Please. Shirou. I want to help you..."
The woman tightly held his hand in hers. Her palms felt burning hot, like fire. A passion blazing like an inferno. Shirou reluctantly raised his head and looked into her eyes.
God damn it...!
Shirou resented the way he caved in by a mere look. That expression of her was so pure, so sincere...it reminded him of a certain savior he had lost.
Angra Mainyu. Would this nurse have tried to save the Absolute Evil, even if it meant the possible death of millions more? Even if it was a curse that resulted in Evil no matter what?
He doubted it. Even so...the sheer intensity in her gaze was equivalent to the madness that had taken over him that day. The blind urge to save the weak, the innocent, the harmed, and the sick. No matter the reason. No matter the price.
Somehow, this nurse just knew how to push the right buttons to make his facade crack.
'How very little can be done under the spirit of fear.'
Another quote from the nurse when she was accused by Shirou of kidnapping and was warned that there might be repercussions.
Shirou took in a deep breath. He let it out. His shoulders sagged as his posture relaxed. He opened his mouth.
"Promise to let me go if I tell you."
The nurse nodded without a hint of hesitation. Shirou sighed.
"It all began at the hospital..."
A Month Ago: Three Days after the Disaster
Kirei Kotomine is the kind of person one with morals would call an 'abomination'.
Unknown to all those around him, Kirei was born defective, possessing a warped mind since birth.
Despite his name meaning 'Pure and Beautiful', Kirei Kotomine was born 'Twisted and Ugly', as far as human nature goes. Despite his best efforts, he could not enjoy what other people found happiness in, and instead found himself drawn to negative emotions like the pain of others.
Even at the hour of his wife's death, a saint of a woman who truly understood his anger and tormented self, a soul filled with love and compassion who wished for his salvation more than anything else...he felt nothing.
Losing the will to redeem himself, he decided to take his own life to end his miserable existence. Hearing this, she took her life in order to prove that he could be 'saved'. This time, he did shed tears.
However, the only tears he shed for her were that of remorse; not of grief, not repentance, but of regret. Regret that he himself wasn't the one to end her life. Disappointment that he couldn't relish in the last seconds of her dying breath.
All in all, Kirei was a void in the shape of a human being without a clear sense of self, the opposite extreme of a certain hero of unlimited blades. If the Archer of ALAYA is the light embossing of a martyr's defects, then Kotomine could be said to be the dark exposing those defects by deviance.
This was the reason why he pursued Kiritsugu so fervently, mistakenly believing that Kiritsugu possessed the same hollowness as he. Kirei was sorely mistaken.
Nevertheless, he wasn't crestfallen. For now, he had something to take care of. Something that he instinctively knew would someday grant him his answer.
Kirei walked through the hospital halls, with a package of neatly wrapped Chinese takeout in his hand, and a bible in another. He was sure that the plain hospital food was not ...stimulative enough for a growing boy.
Having said that, there was one procedure he must complete as the Executer of the Holy Church. Kirei had to make sure the boy was not possessed. In other words, he had to be certain that the survival of the boy was not the result of wraiths and phantoms. He had no interest in the lingering wails of the dead.
If the boy was somehow the vessel for an unhatched 'absolute evil' though...Kirei wasn't certain what he might do. Exorcise? Let it be? Both were plausible. The things he would do to obtain his answer to his faith...
Oh, who was he kidding? As a man of God, of course he would have to bless the birth of a newborn! Kirei couldn't help a wicked smile from twisting the corners of his lips.
Kirei stopped before the room where one Shirou was kept. The boy was suffering from a case of severe amnesia, claiming that all he remembered was his first name. No memories from his past life whatsoever. Time to find out if that was a genuine statement. Kirei opened the door.
The small room contained only one bed with a red-haired boy clad in patient clothing. The boy was sitting upright, a history book in his lap. No wonder, since this room was originally used for Shirou's extensive care, even though there was no true need for that. The sheath had already healed the boy long since before medical care took effect.
When he discovered the shocking (and most ecstatic) truth that the sheath of Avalon was corrupted by the integration with the boy's heart, he was almost tempted to kiss the child.
He wanted to take the child to Vatican and sign him up as his foster child right there, though he decided against it, thinking that having official documents in Japan might be more useful in the near future.
Thus here he was, ready to perform his acts as a formal executer and priest.
"Hello, child. How are you feeling today?"
The child- Shirou looked up, a surprisingly mature glint in his golden eyes.
"Do you remember who I am?", Kirei asked while sitting in the chair next to the bed. The boy nodded.
"Kirei Kotomine, priest of Fuyuki Church. Likes to train Bajiquan and eat Mabo-tofu. You said that my body is very special."
"Excellent. Indeed, your body is most unique. This is the very reason that why, today, I want to introduce you to something more...magical. A baptism. With this, I shall rid your body from possible...impurities. We wouldn't want that..."
Shirou noticed the subtle way Kirei said 'impurities' with distaste. Somehow, he knew that the Christian hadn't meant 'impurities' as in something vile. The priest wanted something from him, and the man wanted to be sure that Shirou was capable of presenting it.
Kirei started chanting softly under his breath.
"I will kill. I will let live. I will harm and heal. None will escape me. None will escape my sight.
Be crushed.
I welcome those who have grown old and those who have lost.
Devote yourself to me, learn from me, and obey me.
Rest. Do not forget song, do not forget prayer, and do not forget me.
I am light and relieve you of all your burdens.
Do not pretend. Retribution for forgiveness, betrayal for trust, despair for hope, darkness for light, dark death for the living.
Relief is in my hands. I will add oil to your sins and leave a mark.
Eternal life is given through death.
— Ask for forgiveness here. I, the incarnation, will swear.
— Kyrie Eleison".
Shirou felt a tug at his soul. A queer sensation of something warm rushing through his body, ridding the taint he had felt since the time he first set foot into that fiery hell. Shirou looked up and was met by the blank expression of Kirei.
"I felt warm. Refreshed. I feel like something has been lifted from my shoulders. I feel...light."
Kirei stared at him for a few long seconds. Then, he nodded. Was it both relief...and disappointment he saw in the priest's eyes?
"Good. I'm most relieved to hear that. I think you've already guessed, but the Fuyuki Fire wasn't some natural occurrence nor accident. Well, it is an accident in a sense..."
The priest covered the lower half of his face as if to grieve. However, Shirou noticed the sadistic smile he was hiding beneath his hand.
"What do you know, Father Kirei?"
Kirei perked up at the word 'Father' as if it had been a long time since anyone had called him by that name.
"The fire was the result of a poor deluded man who believed in an omnipotent Grail. Only the Holy Grail turned out to be more of a Monkey's Paw. The Grail itself was the prize for seven mages who fought for it. I was one of them."
Shirou looked at Kirei strangely.
"You are a Father of the Church...and also a mage?"
"Yes, and I have an offer to make."
Kirei reached forward and grabbed Shirou's shoulder. His grip was like that of a vice. Unrelenting and powerful. Kirei continued in a deep, soothing voice.
"Would you like to be my foster son? If you are willing, I will grant you the skills to protect others. I will teach you the Sacraments of the Holy Church that are only revealed to a chosen few. Above all, I will grant you a place to belong to, a family you could count on."
Kirei stopped and observed Shirou from a close distance. Shirou opened his mouth.
"I suppose that you'll try to convince me orphanages aren't good. You want to keep me near. You are...expectant of something. Am I right, Kirei?"
The priest's face turned blank for the second time, only for it to morph into a maniac grin. The grin Shirou saw in that Hell.
"I was right. You are indeed special, in more ways than one. Although I must ask; was there something that made you change? You seem awfully mature for a child of your age."
Shirou raised an eyebrow.
"I could ask a question too. You seem awfully deviant for a man of divine faith."
Kirei's smirk was wiped clean from his face. Shirou stared silently, unfazed by the sudden change in his demeanor. The rhythmical sound of the clock ticking filled the heavy silence of the room. Kirei's shoulders shook.
"Kuh. Kah. Ah. Ha. Haha. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
The man of God doubled over in rapturous laughter, grasping his stomach as he threw back his head.
"You!", he wheezed. "You are really something else!"
"I strive to please.", was Shirou's light-hearted reply.
Taking that as a sign of consent, Kirei reached out his palm.
"Come with me, child. Let me introduce you to your new home."
Baptism Sacrament aka Purification Incantations is the sole mystery that is freely taught to all members of the Church.
A simple ritual that is capable of exorcising Daemons and sending Wraiths back to the world of the dead. Possess weak capacities of physical interference, but its power is overwhelming against spiritual bodies with an affinity for evil.
Hmmm...no idea what the woman might be. A survivor of the previous wars? Heh. Yes, obvious enough, the Angel of Crimea. Hope you liked their chemistry.
PS. I would be most pleased if there were more reviews! ...Nah, just me being too greedy. I would love it though! (whispers in a small voice)
X-kalibuuuur, entering busy season IRL.