Fate/Feudal Fairy Tale
Chapter 1: Red Spider Lilies
He was bleeding to death.
A man knew that much, surrounded by the city burning around him. The humans tried to repel the invading wall of flesh infringing on Edo, but they could do nothing against the mass that consumed everything it could, defending itself in armor of diamonds and firing diamonds upon the humans.
That man advanced.
"Isn't that…"
"The hanyou that left us before!?"
"Maybe if that useless thing hadn't left in the first place…!"
"Did you hear about what he did to that village!? Why is it here now!? Is he going to help that thing kill us!?"
Someone actually fired an arrow into his back; several more followed. But he ignored the, advancing forward, an oversized sword within his hand. Rather than the new wounds in his back he inspected the wound in his side; he was still bleeding profusely, and the poison had spread throughout his body.
"Just one."
"I think I can do it just one last time."
He gasped, ignoring the panicking humans around him as he raised his sword for the last time.
"Kaze no Kizu."
"Stupid alarm clock-! Seriously!? What's the point if it stops working if you hit it hard enough!?"
Noto Rin wasn't having a very good day. She also had not been having a good week, or month, or really entire school year, so it didn't feel that out of place in hindsight. Rin wasn't exactly a morning person, and one hard slams to a cheap alarm clock too much and she was rushing for school.
No time for breakfast, no time to shower, gotta go go go—! Maybe if she ran as fast as she could she'd only miss half the day? Maybe? It was already a 15 minute walk to the train station, and she swore this train schedule was personally biased against her. As far as she was concerned, it was better to just… try to get to school as quickly as possible on foot on an empty stomach. "'You should get a bike,' Ayame said, 'I don't need a bike,' you said, well you'd still be late but a bike would be really good right now Rin—!" Rin scolded herself, grabbing her backpack and running out of her house. "Be back later, mama!"
Rin's first year in high school absolutely did not feel like something she read in those slice of life mangas, to say the least. You can't study for shit and you're part of the going home club, the least you can do is try to get there on time! Come ooooon Rin! If nothing else though it did seem like her luck was finally catching up. "H-hey! Taxi! Over here!"
Rin practically felt herself beaming with happiness when she saw the car stop, racing after it. "Thank you- thank you sosososo much—"
"It's no problem. Destination, ma'm?"
"Fujimigaoka High School for Girls," Rin instructed, taking some breaths as she finally let herself relax.
"You sure you can pay, ma'm? You look like a student, taxis are expensive," the taxi driver asked, looking back at her.
"Trust me, I can," Rin said with a smile. With a nod, the taxi took off, and Rin was happy she was in the clear. At least she'd probably only miss one class now. Can I really complain that much, though? Rin thought, reaching into her backpack for a compact mirror and just a little foundation. Mama and papa said I'd be good with this… a normal, mundane life, right? Rin thought to herself, thinking of lunch with her friends Kakazu Ayame and Mizuhashi Shiori a few weeks back.
"Honestly, Rin-chan! Between you and me, I think I'd kill just to be a regular girl!" Ayame told her during lunch just a few weeks back, with Shiori nodding in agreement. "The Mage's Association, Clock Tower, all these politics and stuff… Magecraft is fun and all, but I'd love to not have to deal with any of that stuff!"
"We'll always be your friends in the end," Shiori told her, smiling at her, even if it was a little sad. "Magecraft seems fun and all but… the politics around it are really harsh. Even if it's painful, you should cherish the life you have, Rin."
Rin's smile was bitter, looking at herself in the compact. Here she was, the last surviving member of the Noto magus bloodline… and nothing to show for it. If she had at least had their family's Magic Crest, the last two hundred years of magical knowledge of her family in her possession, she could at least attempt to build the family up again…
… But with their Magic Crest lost as well, there was no point. She'd have to start everything from scratch. Even if she could continue the Noto family as a blood family, as maguses, they were completely finished. She knew it, Ayame knew it, Shiori knew it, and every noteworthy Magus lineage in all of Japan knew it. Rin knew it was better to just focus on living a "normal life" the best she could, but…
She felt bad. Of all her family, the only one that had survived was the one too small and weak to do anything at the time. If any of her brothers had survived instead, just maybe…
… Just maybe...
Well, there was no point in mulling over it, really. You're just a normal girl aware that Mages and Magecraft exist now, Rin, Rin told herself as she looked out the window. Just go to school and graduate, go to college, get some job. An ordinary life that would end in an ordinary way. If nothing else, she had a decent house to live in and was moderately well off by her inheritance as well. And with two really great friends she had found in the midst of her despair. She could have been dealt a shittier hand, and she didn't want to seem ungrateful of her family's memory by wanting more.
"We're here, ma'm," the taxi driver informed her, Rin nodding as she paid the man the fare. And with that, it was time for another average day.
… Without her lunch, only realizing now she forgot her bento. Oh, awesome! It gets worse!
Well, at least she was there. Rin sighed as she headed into her school, inspecting her appearance one last time before heading in. Just stay cool, Rin. Stay cool and just get to 1-B and get ready for math…
"Oh, hey. Noto showed up."
Try to ignore this megabitch and get to class-
"Hey, Noto!"
OK so this day is gonna alternate between being OK and bad.
"Hey, Kawasaki-san," Rin said with a forced smile, turning around to face two girls with the same forced smile back at her. "Haha, yeah. I was running late, you know? My bad. Better late than never, though!"
"I mean, it's an exception with you, I think," Kawasaki said, advancing forward. "Still kind of a shame you come here, you know? It gets more peaceful without you," the girl said, neither's smile fading.
"Eh, you know. I'm stubborn, you know?" Rin retorted. You get into one fight when you're a kid and this happens… She thought bitterly. "Maybe if they expel me you'll never see me again~" Rin said with a wink, Kawasaki's smile finally fading a bit.
"Hey, we can all dream, right?" Kawasaki said, advancing. Rin wasn't exactly a popular girl, but at least her bullying situation had been reduced to just Kawasaki's nonsense.
"I want to get settled in my homeroom, Kawasaki, so let's talk later," Or never, i'd actually really like never.
"Hell no, I have some things to say to you," Kawasaki was just glaring now, her lackey behind her as she stepped forward. "Fucking freak, I swear to God-"
Oh I cannot get into a fight at this school— Rin thought to herself, backing up. It's not like most people would side with her over Kawasaki, but the girl was advancing and there was nobody else around. I really don't have time for this!
"Who the hell do you think you are—" But Kawasaki jumped back as she advanced. After Rin raised her hand to touch her's, she received a visible static shock, not enough to seriously harm but definitely enough to surprise and cause a little pain.
Thaaank you, Ayame!
"You bitch—!"
But Rin pulled down on an eyelid and stuck her tongue out, finally racing up the stairs, pleased to see Kawasaki's lackey was at least trying to talk some sense into her. Alright, now that that nuisance is out of the way, let's get to class!
It was a good thought and plan, honestly. It really was! It was what any productive student should do! But she had also been looking behind while running upstairs and bumped into someone! Whoops.
"Owowow…" Rin groaned. At least they had bumped into each other at the top of the stairs. "I'm sosososo sorry about that, are you alright?" Rin asked while rubbing her head.
"Yeah! Don't worry about it," a somewhat familiar said, and Rin looked to see that the other girl had already gotten up and had offered her a hand.
"Higurashi-senpai?"
Third Year student Higurashi Kagome, who Rin recognized as captain of the Archery Club, was smiling at her as she offered her hand. "Are you alright, Noto-san? You bumped your head on the corner there when you fell…"
"O-oh! Yeah, I am!" Rin said, smiling as she took her hand and was helped up. Despite it all, she couldn't help but blush a little; she's really pretty…
"Just be more careful, alright?" Kagome told her with a smile.
"Yeah, definitely!"
"Get back here, Noto—" It seemed whatever sense Kawasaki had been convinced was no longer being followed, and she was still in pursuit. "... O-Oh! Higurashi-senpai!"
"You're not making problems again, are you, Kawasaki?" Kagome asked with a frown. "There's only so many times you can try pulling this crap before it finally turns on you," she scolded her younger student. "Get to class," all the First Year could do was scowl before storming off, and Kagome let out a sight. "Good grief… Such a troublesome kid. Well… take care, Noto!" Kagome said with a friendly wave before heading down the stairs, back to her classroom. And Rin gave a wave back before heading to her own at last, annoyed that a good few minutes of her break had been used up on this nonsense.
"... Riiiin! Rin-chan, you made it!" Rin smiled as Ayame immediately greeted her, giving her friend a hug as she entered. "Was afraid you were gonna ditch us!"
"Eh… my grades already aren't the best, no point in ditching too, you know?" Rin said with a little laugh. "... Is Shiori here?"
"Nope, but apparently her grandpa called her out of classes today. I was thinking I was gonna be all alone!" Ayame said, plopping down in her own seat.
"Oh, huh…" Rin blinked.Shiori usually doesn't miss school. "Is she sick, or something?"
"Nah… we don't know why, her grandpa just called her out," now Ayame was frowning too. "... Might be family stuff for her?" Ayame said, her tone serious.
"Oh…"
"Let's leave it be, families like ours keep our business private," Ayame instructed, looking around. The class was about half-full now, and the two were grateful their desks were in the back-right corner. "If she doesn't show up by Friday, we go check on her, alright?" Rin nodded at the response. "What happened to you?"
"Kind of uh… broke my alarm clock," Rin said with an embarrassed chuckle. "Only reason I'm here before lunch is because I managed to find a taxi."
"I see. I was afraid you were maybe just… depressed, you know? This time of the year?" Ayame said with a frown, and Rin sighed.
"It's fine, I'll hold myself together. But yeah, I overslept and barely got here in time for the second period. And then Kawasaki tried starting stuff again…"
"Seriously!? It's been like, seven years!"
"She holds a grudge forever! And then she turned into a bully, too!" Rin complained with a sigh. "... I did the trick you taught me though, you know. With a little static shock?"
"Atta girl!" Ayame said with a grin. "See? This is the best way for you to do maaaaaa- tricks! Just a little something to help you out now and there without complicated crap around it," she encouraged.
"Mmm… yeah."
Rin still wished she was a proper mage. She wished that she could continue her family's research and bloodline properly.
And with that, on an empty stomach, her day returned to normalcy.
Rin decided she didn't feel like going straight back to Setagaya that day.
For one thing, she was hungry, and decided to get the instant gratification of fast food immediately after classes than wait to get home to cook. And while she had told Ayame she was fine earlier, she couldn't deny feeling… forlorn. Not returning to an empty home was something she would've liked to focus on, and if nothing else, Shibuya was great for that. There was always something to do with Shibuya if you just looked around you.
Tokyo really is amazing, Rin thought to herself after finishing her burger with a smile. As much as she wished she could just spend the entire day here though she knew she couldn't; she needed to at least try to catch up on her schoolwork. If you only inherited Benjiro's brains… Rin thought bitterly. Maybe I can go to an arcade for a while? Rin thought, looking at herself in a bathroom mirror, applying a light pink lipstick before heading back outside. Really don't feel like karaoke…
Even though there was so much to do, without Ayame or Shiori around, it felt… oddly small, at the same time. She wasn't used to Ayame going straight home after school, and she couldn't imagine what to do alone. Maybe I'll just pick up a few magazines then go home after all, Rin thought. Eh, that'd work, probably.
"...?"
Grand opening!
Ao's Floral Store!
A sign on the sidewalk certainly caught her attention. She always went to a local flower shop back in Setagaya, she wasn't used to buying flowers out here in Shibuya. She was sure they'd be overpriced, but if nothing else, Rin figured it'd at least kill time.
"Greetings, ma'm," a young woman with long, black hair greeted, smiling as Rin entered the small business.
"Hello," Rin said back, looking around. It was a nice collection of flowers, she had to admit! A little empty, though… "Grand opening, huh?"
"Ehehehe… well, two weeks ago. Was hoping leaving up the sign would help string a little more business. Guess it didn't work," the woman admitted with a little laugh. "I'll be taking it down tomorrow."
"Hey, it got me to enter!" Rin encouraged, taking a look around. There were more flowers than the lady in Setagaya for sure, but as she suspected, the markup wasn't really worth it in the end. Or at least she assumed as such, stopping to look at a few particular red flowers that grabbed her attention. Spider lilies…
"Something catching your attention, ma'm?" The shopkeeper asked.
"Yeah, these spider lilies," Rin said, looking back at her. "The flower shop by my house doesn't sell them… it's an old lady, she says they're too sad to want to keep around."
"They are a sad, if beautiful flower, aren't they?" The shopkeeper asked. "Are you interested?"
"I… maybe," Rin said. It's about the time of year to make another wreath, she thought to herself. And she had never done so with spider lilies before. Mama, papa… Benjiro, Aoi, Hisashi…
Rin thought of her family, of their final partings when she was nine years old.
"Come on, Rin, it's not a contest."
"I can do it! I can totally do it, just watch me!"
The then child Noto Rin tried to focus everything on her finger, her eldest brother watching over her. "Don't strain yourself, alright?"
"I gotta be able to do this much at least!" Rin said, trying to focus mana into her finger. "Come on, come on, come oooon… EEP!" Rin had been trying to make just a small fire with her finger, just the size of a lighter- but she was caught off guard by the quick, small stream of fire and fell out of her chair. "Owowowow… Benjiro, it's not funny!" Rin complained, seeing her eldest brother, the future family head laughing.
"I don't know, I think it's pretty funny," Benjiro said, helping Rin back up. "Well, at least we know your Elemental Affinity isn't Fire, now. Probably. At the very least, Imprint doesn't care about that."
"Can't we just use Consecration to figure out what my Affinity is?" Little Rin asked, sitting back on the table. "Don't we have everything we need for it?"
"Well we got sage and tarot cards, but honestly? Waiting until you're just a little bit older to work out the personality tests probably is for the best," Benjiro said, ruffling his little sister's hair.
"Hey! Stop that!"
Her brother stuck her tongue out at her, and Rin returned the favor. "I just can't help it… I just wanna be a Magus so badly! Like you, and Aoi, and Hisashi, and mama and papa!"
"I know, I know, but there's really no rush- we're not like most other Mage families, you know?" He asked.
"Because we're not part of that Association?"
"Kind of. But because we're also close as a family- most Mage families only have one child that they focus on, we told you that. We're all happy to teach you Magecraft, but it's not like you need to rush to be some master Magus."
"But I don't care about being a master Magus! I just wanna do cool magic stuff!" Rin said with a big grin. She didn't understand how other Mages were, how ruthless that separate world truly could be; to her, it was just like one big magical adventure, and she was blessed to be part of a family where everyone was a Magus. They knew she had Magic Circuits, she knew she could do Magecraft, but…
It just wasn't coming as easily to her as others, and nobody quite understood why. While the family told her not to worry, it was embarrassing.
"You'll get there," Benjiro said with a smile. "You got your family at your back. You're never alone."
"Mhm…" All this talk of family had reminded her of a question she had wanted to ask.
"... Is something wrong, Rin?"
"... What happens when other magic families have more than one kid?" Rin asked.
"Well… usually, you send one way. It kind of depends on the family, but most Magus families really prefer to just focus their efforts on one kid, their heir. If there's more kids… well, if they're not sent away, it can get… ugly. I've heard of siblings fighting over the right to inherit the family's Magic Crest."
"What is that, anyways? Is it like… a crest is something you wear, right?" Rin asked.
"Not… in the sense you're thinking of. So it's like this- it's the most important thing a Magi lineage can have," Genjiro tried to explain. "They're basically like… Magic Circuits are given a physical form, and then you can absorb it into yourself. We all get one, but all the focus is always on the one we inherit."
"Wait, you can just give Magic Circuits away?"
"In a way you could say that? It's like… a Magic Crest basically has all your spells memorized. When a Magus creates a Magic Crest, it's their Circuits that contain all their spells and prior knowledge. And then you can pass it onto somebody else, and then their spells and knowledge gets added to it."
"Oh! So it keeps growing and growing! And the more Circuits a Mage has, the better they are at magic, right? So the more generations it gets passed down, the stronger that Magic Crest gets?"
"Look at you, all smart and junk!" And with that, he ruffled her hair once more, laughing at her annoyance. "Yes. Dad is the current family head, you know that. And being the oldest, I'm gonna be next in line… either when dad passes away or if he decides he wants to step down, I'll inherit his Crest, and the last one-hundred-and-twenty years worth of our accumulated power. I know that sounds super amazing- but compared to some Mage families, we're really young."
"That's sooooo coooooool, I wish I could get a Magic Crest, then I'd be super awesome!" Rin said, and her older brother could swear she saw stars in her eyes.
"Good luck kiddo, 'cuz the Noto's is mine," Benjiro said with a grin. "All of our research, and our family's signature Magecraft, Imprint. That much is my birthright, imouto-chan."
"Imprint… you know, I don't get it. Those Kakazu's family Magecraft lets them do stuff with plants and stuff. But our family's Magecraft doesn't do anything on it's own?"
"Ours is a bit weird- maybe even heretical, but we're all good people. I promise me and dad will teach you how to use it properly once you get a hold of the basics," Benjiro said. "That's the other reason why family's really prefer just one heir. It's a lot harder learning a specialized Magecraft compared to the more generic stuff. That's why only the old man can use our Imprint Magecraft so well, not that the rest of us are shabby," he explained.
"All these cool things I have to wait until I get bigger to do…" Rin complained, frowning, but looked up when her brother paped her back.
"Don't worry. We have a system in how we do this. Now, that's enough magic stuff for today. It's been an hour like we said we'd do! Come on, time for homework."
"Oh, come on! Can't we try the fire thing just a little more!?"
"Nope," said her brother. "Come on, you know I'm good with math. I'll help you," Benjiro said. "Don't you wanna finish making that floral crown for mom? You won't have time if you take too long doing your homework."
Rin recalled the exact moment her peaceful life was shattered, hearing what sounded like an explosion erupt through her house. "WHAT WAS THAT!?"
"Rin- stay here!" Benjiro instructed, bolting from his chair. "Nononono- shit—"
"Oniisan! Did something just blow up!?"
"No, it's… oh God- Rin, STAY HERE!"
"Shouldn't you get out of a place if it's unsafe!?"
"Unless we know for sure what's outside, it's probably even more dangerous!"
"I'm confused- oniisan, don't go, please!"
Benjiro gave her a hug and a smile, trying to reassure her. "It's OK. Trust us. You'll be OK," and with that, he sprinted out the door and slammed it behind him, and Rin noticed that some kind of magical spell was used on her door. Not knowing what else to do, she hid under her bed.
It only took a few minutes, but for her it felt like an eternity. Something was happening to Benjiro's spell and Rin became terrified, but peeked out from under the bed to see the most comforting face in the world to her- "MAMA!"
"Oh thank God, Rin—" Mrs. Noto sprinted for her, holding the crying girl tightly. "Shh, shh, it's OK, mama's here, mama's here!"
"Mama, what's happening!?" Rin asked desperately. "Why did Benjiro put a seal on my door!? Isn't the house dangerous!? Shouldn't we get outside and call the police!?"
"Police can't help us- Rin, baby, you need to listen to me. You need to do what I say, OK!?" Mrs. Noto said, her daughter nodding frantically. "Keep hold of my hand- don't let go, no matter what!" And with that she practically dragged her out of her room. She could hear screaming, and things breaking- of course, it was her family screaming.
"Mama! Mama, I'm scared!"
"It's OK… It's OK to be scared, Rin. I'm scared too. But you're going to be safe, I promise," Mrs. Noto encouraged, leading her away from the sound of the fighting, taking her to the master bedroom. "It's OK to be scared. But I also need you to be brave. I need you to be braver than you've ever been, OK?" Mrs. Noto instructed, with Rin nodding. Once there she opened a window, looking at the two-floor drop. With Rin in her hands she jumped down, using Magecraft to create a gust of air to help soften her fall. And using wind Magecraft to help her once more, jumped the distance back up to close the window before coming back down.
But she landed harshly, on her knee. "Fuck—"
"Mama! You're hurt!"
"Don't worry about that!" Mrs. Noto fought through the pain and ran as fast as she could with Rin in the backyard, near a large oak tree that was on their property.
"The tree…?"
Mrs. Noto didn't explain as she performed some kind of Magecraft, and Rin learned for the first time the tree was hollow, and there was a ladder leading to some kind of bunker. "Rin. You need to go. You need to go alone."
"What!? No, mama! I don't wanna go alone! I'm scared- come down with me, please!"
"Rin…"
Her mother embraced her as tightly as she could, tears running down her face, as Rin also cried. "I'm so proud of you. I never cared about being some great Magus or anything like that- I'm so happy. I'm so happy we got to have a normal family life. Raising you and your brothers was the best thing I ever did. Rin, I don't care that you struggle with Magecraft, I love you. I love you sososososo much, and I'm always going to be proud of you forever, OK?"
"Mama…?"
Rin didn't understand just yet that her mother was saying farewell.
"... When you see red spider lilies, don't be sad Rin. Don't ever be sad, OK? Remember the people who love you that can't say 'I love you,' anymore. Think of the happy times, not the parting. OK?"
"I… I promise, mama. But mama, where are you going?"
"I have to go back… you're going to be safe here. Eventually, a one-eyed lady will come here to get you, OK? She's going to say something, 'the flowers are blooming,' that's how you'll know it's her and not somebody trying to trick you- you can't trust them if they don't say that. But I have to stay. This tree's magical enchantments need to be activated from the outside and I need to help the family. Rin, I love you, please, I need you to be brave, I need you to go down the ladder."
"I… OK, mama. I love you!"
"I love you too, so much. You're going to be OK, we all love you so much."
Rin forced herself to crawl down the ladder, and seeing up, she saw her mother's crying face, but also her beautiful one final time before the tree closed once more.
Rin reached the bottom of the bunker quickly. She did not know this place existed, and she did not bother to explore. She simply sat on the cold floor, crying, for what seemed like days on end. To her, the three hours felt like three hundred years.
Eventually, the tree opened up again. "Rin! Noto Rin, are you down there? We're allies of your family! The flowers are blooming!"
"Mama!?"
Even though the voice was nothing like her's, in her panic and fear, she imagined it was her mother and started climbing up. "Mama! Mama, is everyone OK!? Mama… mama…"
When she reached the top, she saw an elderly woman in a miko outfit with an eyepatch frowning at her, and a few others she did not recognize.
Rin immediately realized something had changed forever.
Mrs. Noto had loved flowers in her lifetime. Noto Rin also loved flowers. She had picked it up from her mother, and in three days would be the anniversary of when her family had been forcibly ripped from her forever. And every year she made a flower wreath for her family's memory.
"You got your family at your back. You're never alone."
But even with Kaede's help, even with her friends by her side, she was alone, and she would continue being alone. And Rin saw no way out of it.
She felt like a rotten, terrible child. Despite her promise to her mother, all the spider lilies could do was make her feel sad and forlorn. But still, she was going to make this wreath no matter what.
Even if Rin could not honor her promise to her mother, she could at least try to honor her desires by including them in the wreath.
"I'll take the spider lilies, ma'm."
"Wonderful!" the woman said, ringing up Rin at the front. "I'm glad. They're really beautiful, I think. It's good to see them go to a good home."
"Mhm! Thank you, ma'm!"
"Please, you can call me Ao, if you'd like."
"Thank you then, Ao-san!" Rin said cheerfully, looking at the flowers in her hands.
Despite her sorrows, and while she wanted to keep supporting the old lady she had been buying flowers from for years, she was happy she didn't go straight home today.
As Rin made her way home, she thought of what else to do.
Yes, she knew she really needed to go do homework, but after her experience at the flower shop, it really was the last thing on her mind. But at the same time, just goofing off didn't feel right, either. I could start working on the wreath right away? Rin thought to herself. I dunno though…
She sighed. And then an idea came to her head-
Go to a shrine to pay respects, maybe?
Rin knew that a family called the Higurashis had a shrine not too far from where she lived on foot, although she had never visited it before. Maybe it was about time? Remember the good times, and not the goodbye… Rint thought to herself, before smiling at the red spider lilies she had purchased. Yeah, this was a good way to keep the momentum going; and with that, she was on her way.
An uneventful walk followed before Rin arrived. It seemed pretty ordinary; not as big as some of the shrines deeper in Tokyo, but she actually liked that a bit. Less flashy, which she thought a shrine should be.
"Why, hello, there!"
As she approached she saw an elderly man with a beard and moustache begin to walk towards her with a smile, which Rin returned. "Are you the priest here, mister?"
"Indeed. This shrine has been in the family for many generations!"
"Well, it's a lovely shrine, kannushi-sama!" Rin said with a respectful bow. "You know, I've lived not too far for a long time, but I've never visited… wanted to give a prayer."
The priest smiled, his hands together. "We close after it gets dark, but other than that, you're always welcome here, ma'm."
"Wonderful to hear!"
"And also, if you're in need of good fortune…"
Oh boy.
"For a good price, we offer these authentic good luck charms!" The priest said with a smile, reaching into his robes to pull something out.
"... Keychains?" Rin asked. Well, the pink one looks cute at least…
"Not just keychains! These are replicas of the fabled Shikon no Tama!" The priest said proudly, taking a few steps closer.
"Shikon no Tama... " Rin blinked at that, tapping her foot. "That's right… wasn't there an old legend about a half-demon who searched for it, or something?"
"Indeed it is! But rest assured, unlike that cursed thing, ours will bring you good luck! It'll keep your home safe, and bring good luck to your business; but I'm sure for a student like you, it'll bring good luck to your studies and classes!"
"... Well, I could certainly use that!" Rin said with a laugh. "Maybe I will get one or two."
"Wonderful! You know, we've been selling these for fifty years, so you can trust it works, ma'm!" He didn't mention how many they had actually sold, though. "Everything in this shrine is rooted in tradition! Why, you see, my father was the one who first began selling these…"
Ohhhhhhhhhh nononononono, Rin thought, gulping. Not one of those kinds of old men! But he was the priest of this shrine, she couldn't just… leave him hanging, it felt rude!
"Grandpa! Are you bothering someone visiting the shrine again?" A familiar woman's voice yelled, causing both to look behind.
Eh…?
"H… Higurashi-senpai!?"
"Oh- is that you, Noto-san?" Kagome asked, smiling when she noticed who it was.
"Kagome, do you know her?" Grandpa Higurashi asked, turning to face his only granddaughter.
"Mhm! Well, she's an underclassman at my school. Didn't think I'd see you here, Noto-san."
"... Oh my God, of course, Higurashi—" Rin was clearly very embarrassed, her cheeks flushing. She knew she also lived out here in Setagaya, but not how close or how far! How many years have I been living near her? … My entire life! "I had no idea this was like, well, your Higurashi family!"
"Hey, don't sweat it," Kagome said with a little laugh. "There's only so many names in the world, and it's not like we know each other that well or anything!" That was a fair point, Rin reasoned. She didn't really know Kagome existed before coming to this school, after all. It just felt… embarrassing! "Grandpa! Stop trying to sell her stuff and let her pray!"
"I am trying to bequeath her a good luck charm, Kagome! Both for her sake and the shrine!"
Kagome rolled her eyes, reaching into her backpack. "Hey, Noto-san, catch!" she tossed something which Rin caught; a pink version of the keychain. "Consider it on the house!"
"Wow, thanks, Higurashi-senpai!"
"Our sacred good luck charms…" Grandpa Higurashi looked like he was in tears. Rin couldn't help but feel a little bad…
"Oh- please, we're not in school or anything. You can call me Kagome if you'd like," Kagome assured her, and Rin's smile grew.
"Then call me Rin!"
"Will do, Rin-chan," and with that, Rin's flush got a little deeper. Chan?
"Grandpa, mama was calling for you in the house," Kagome told him, and his apparent distress immediately vanished.
"You take care, you two," Grandpa Higurashi said as he went to the household, smiling and giving Rin a wave, who returned the gesture.
"... Listen, I'd feel bad for not paying- how much is it?"
"500 yen normally. I know it's a little pricey, but Grandpa always haggles them down to about 200," Kagome said. Rin got some coins out of her pocket and handed it to Kagome. "I'll make sure he gets it! You just made his day, you know?"
"But they're so cute! I want a dozen of the pink one..."
"You wanna buy a dozen?"
"... Nope!" And with that, the two girls laughed a bit.
"Maybe if we were more into the city and lots of teenage girls passed by here we'd have better luck selling them… oh well!" Kagome thought. "Really though, take as much time as you need in the shrine. I'll be around if you have questions without wanting to hear my grandpa ramble."
Rin nodded and smiled, making her way off. She washed her hands and mouth, and made sure to drop an additional donation to the shrine as she prayed.
Mama. Papa, Benjiro, Aoi, Hisashi. I miss you all every day. I miss you all so, so, so much. There's not a day I don't dream about all of us being together again, that I could just… erase that night forever.
She still didn't know why, and neither had Kaede or the other mages that had come to get her. Just that an enemy of the Notos had annihilated them in their own home, despite her father being recognized as a decently powerful mage in his own right.
But I'm trying my best! I can't really learn Magecraft that well, Kaede-sama tried to help me a bit, but it doesn't come easily. Ayame-chan at school helped me learn a few small tricks! Kaede-sama said that maybe at the end of this school year she can help tutor me in Magecraft though. I just don't want our family's history to disappear, even if I'm never a proper Mage. Our power of Imprint, I really want to pass it on…
But how could she, when she barely even knew how it worked, let alone perform it?
… I love you all so much. So, I know I'm not really great at… anything, but I hope at least, you're happy with who I'm becoming. There's nothing I wouldn't do to bring you all back… but I can't, so I'll try to live my best life, like you would have wanted.
Rin wiped away tears from her eyes before leaving.
There was one thing that caught her attention at the otherwise ordinary shrine; a very large tree. It was one you could see from quite the distance even, and it was impossible to miss it. I wonder how old it is? Rin thought, approaching it as she was making her way to leave the compound. There was a rope tied around it, and it seemed pretty important…
"... That's the goshinboku tree," Kagome said. Rin jumped a bit, noticing Kagome had also started approaching when she walked up to the tree. "It's been here longer than the shrine, along with the Bone Eater's Well."
"Maybe I should've listened to your grandfather's stories…"
Kagome shook her head. "Please! He would've rambled on forever before you actually learned anything," she said, before sighing. "Me and my mom are the ones you want to talk to if you have questions," Kagome claimed. "Was everything alright?"
"... Mhm."
"Are you OK, Rin?"
"Just… it's a shitty time of the year for me," Rin said. "My uh… I was paying respects to my family," Rin winced after saying that. That was probably oversharing…
"I'm sorry for your loss, Rin," Kagome frowned, walking up next to her. ".. You know, it's a funny coincidence. I lost my father around this time of year when I was young."
"Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that, Kagome-san," Rin said, biting on her lip. "I was nine, but it's still… a really fresh wound. I just really wanted to say something nice for them."
"I'm sure they appreciate it," Kagome tried to assure. "I'm sure they were all lovely people."
"They were the best, and I'm sure your dad was too," Rin tried to assure back, which got a small, if sad smile; an expression Rin returned. "... It just seems so weird. How the world just keeps going even when they're not here."
"Yeah, agreed," Kagome said with another sigh. "It doesn't stop no matter how much you want to. And nothing can come back, either…"
"... There's nothing I wouldn't do to get them all back."
Rin didn't mean to say that, but the tears were beginning to form and her fist clenched. Somebody had taken them from her, and she wanted to know who and just take her life back. "If it means everyone can be here, no matter what'd it take…"
With Magecraft, could it be possible?
"... Is that what they'd want?" Kagome asked, and Rin remained silent. Her expression was serious. "You're here, even if they're not… you should try to focus on being happy, Rin. Those desires are normal, but if you actually act on them… you'll probably have a very unhappy life," Kagome tried to explain to her junior, who nodded. "Letting go…"
Rin was too self absorbed in the moment to hear the doubt in Kagome's voice. She sounds just like Ayame...
"... Tell you want, Rin? Hold on," she reached into her backpack, taking out a notebook, writing down something and giving her the page. "This is our phone number. If you're having… listen, ugh, this is coming out all wrong- just! If you want to… talk or anything, let me know. I'm all ears, alright?"
"Is it really OK for me to… impose on you like that?"
"Hey! You're my kouhai, aren't you? It's the least I can do," Kagome said as she smiled once more. "... Rin, this is going to sound really weird, but listen to me, alright?"
"Huh?"
"Next month, you should go straight home after school," Kagome said, earning an odd look from Rin. "And ignore… odd news reports. I know this probably sounds weird but... "
"Higurashi-san…?"
"... I want you to stay safe, in case of anything," Kagome said. Before Rin could ask her to elaborate, though…
"Kagome."
"... Mama."
A ways across, Kagome's mother stood near some stairs leading up to the shrine. Her expression was serious and unhappy, and Kagome's own face quickly looked the same. "I'm sorry, I have to go, Rin. See you at school- and call me if anything, alright?"
"I… yeah. See you around!"
Kagome didn't say anything else as she approached her mother, and feeling her stay was over, Rin decided it was best to leave for home to give the two space, with nothing more than an awkward smile and wave to Mrs. Higurashi after she had given one to her.
Rin couldn't do any homework.
She had begun work on her flower wreath, but after such an odd day, studying was out of the question for her. Instead, she tried to read her father's notes in his private study. Most of it was confusing and things that were hopelessly above her level of magical comprehension, but now and then, she could decipher a little. It didn't help that her father's more important research notes had Mystic Codes on them that required a little Magecraft to be able to unlock. While Kaede had once offered to do such for her, Rin felt that, as the last surviving Noto, that it was her responsibility to do so on her own. But a few days ago, something odd happened. A few days before this odd late March day; one of the books had seemingly unlocked on it's own.
Do not read before March of 1999.
And, well, it was March of 1999. She had been… nervous about reading it, but surprisingly, it seemed to be fairly mundane. It was mostly a small journal that had been talking about preparing for some kind of ritual, but one thing struck out to her.
The sword that cannot be cut has been prepared as a Catalyst in the bunker.
To say Rin despised the bunker was an understatement; it made her feel claustrophobic and like she was going to die. But, she had forced herself to retrieve the sword from the bunker; and yeah, it was a hunk of junk that couldn't cut anything! What could something like that possibly be good for?
Her father's Mystic Codes were designed so that only the Noto family could easily look through them. It was like there were two lucks; a fairly standard magic requirement that most component mages could read through, but then something requiring the blood of the Notos. Most of the book she could read, but the last few pages were binded with blood.
To my children, only read if you intend to participate in the events of April 1999. And if you know not what I am speaking of; there lies ahead a miracle of either unspeakable joy or sorrow.
"..."
It was scary. Mages often got involved in fucked up stuff, and she had been afraid of what might be at the end of the book. But now, it was the last day of March. A miracle…
A miracle that could bring back even what you had lost?
She paced around the room a bit. It was now or never, right? Everyone encouraged her to live a normal, happy life. Kaede had encouraged it. Shiori and Ayame encouraged it. And now, even Kagome, who was mostly a stranger to her, was encouraging her to lead a happy, peaceful life.
But she wanted her family back.
Rin had wanted nothing else for years, and this promise of some miracle was… tempting to her. Incredibly so. Even though she had no idea what it enticed…
I need to at least know what this is.
She bit on her thumb hard enough to draw blood, pressing it on her father's book, and it opened.
If you are reading this, it is likely that I am dead.
Rin felt a lump in her throat.
I have written this book in the preparation of my potential death before April of 1999. I write this book assuming that you, my beloved child, are unaware of the war that occurs every 20 years in the city of Tokyo.
"A… a war?"
Every 20 years, an event known as the Shikon Jewel War will commence. A chance to fight over the sacred Shikon Jewel, and the right to the miracle it can provide. To this end, ten Masters, each aided by a Servant will compete to fight for the right to make this sacred wish. I intend to participate in the War of 1999, but if you are reading this, clearly I am not.
The Shikon Jewel? That thing that Kagome's grandfather was talking about? Masters? Servants? To say Rin was confused was an understatement. The next few pages were filled with notes; a 'Summoning Ritual,' a magic circle...
Two specific Heroic Spirits always appear during this ritual, but this sword that cannot cut will ensure personally that he will appear. I have confidence that with his power and our Magecraft, we can emerge victorious.
"OK, OK…"
Rin's eyes widened.
Pages had been torn out, pages that explained this 'War' in full detail. She shook the book, then scrambled for the book shelf to see if something had been done. Even during the attack on her home, her Father's study had been largely untouched, much to the confusion of the Mages who investigated the attack. Even though the Noto Magecraft was rather specialized, it was known that Mt. Noto had his hands on some rare books of magecraft. Where are the other pages!? Rin thought in a panic, practically turning the room upside down to look for it.
It made no sense to her that these pages were missing. And even worse, the one that actually explained what this miracle and War actually was! But…
"..."
On the desk of Rin's father was a group photo of the family. Now that they were gone, this group photo was one of her few mementos of the family lost. She did not know what this miracle was, what a Master or a Servant was, but.
Noto Rin yearned to be a proper Mage. She wanted to be recognized as a Magus.
And even more than that, she would do anything to bring her family back. Even head back down into the bunker one more. Just the thought of doing it made Rin want to throw up, but this 'summoning circle' was down there. Rin figured she probably couldn't do it anyways- she wasn't a true Mage or anything like that, but.
If she didn't, she'd live like this for the rest of her life.
Alone and helpless.
Hopeless.
So, with her heart beating out of her chest, she went to the tree on the family's estate.
To unlock the seal to the Noto bunker was one of the only magical talents she could do. It was incredibly easy even for her, as it only required a faint magical pulse from either a Noto or someone they designated to be allowed entry. With the sword strapped on her back she climbed down, and she headed deeper into it.
Of course she had never fully explored this place. This was the place where it felt like her life had ended. Just the thought of it filled her with disgust, even though she always knew she'd have to come back one day. The teenager bit her lip as she navigated around it. It was filled with boxes, fridges, and emergency provisions; of course, Rin had not maintained it, so she wouldn't have been surprised if all the food that was to be for an emergency had gone bad.
"..."
Rin reached the final door, and with a shaky hand, opened it.
It was a plain room, with only the summoning circle to give it decoration. Worse case scenario, nothing happens, Rin thought to herself. Of course, that also meant the loss of hope most likely, so it was probably more horrifically awful than that. But Rin advanced still, placing the sword in the center, and taking steps back. Alright… alright… Rin, last chance, do you want to do this?
No, not really, to say it scared the shit out of her was an incredibly generous understatement.
But, if she didn't proceed, Rin figured she'd regret it forever. She needed to know what would happen next… and if there was any way she could reclaim what she had lost. Her father had written down the "Servant Summoning" steps for her at least. Rin of course assumed this would let her summon some kind of specialized familiar, but what exactly? What could a 'Servant' be? It sounded a lot fancier than a normal familiar, but she figured she would (or wouldn't) figure it out soon.
"Fill. Fill. Fill. Fill. Fill. Let each be turned over five times, simply breaking asunder the fulfilled time.
Let silver and steel be the essence. Let stone and the archduke of contracts be the foundation. Let the blood of the Notos be the ancestor. Raise a wall, against the wind that shall fall. Close the four cardinal gates. Come out from the crown. Rotate the three-branched road reaching the Kingdom."
Something was happening.
Rin's eyes widened in shock as the circle was actually glowing. She was doing it- she was really doing it- she was performing a proper Magecraft! She couldn't help but be… excited now, as she continued.
– I shall declare here. Your body shall serve under me. My fate shall be with your sword. Submit to the beckoning of the Shikon Jewel. If you will submit to this will and this reason… then answer!
– An oath shall be sworn here! I shall risk body and soul for the wish, and the purification of the Jewel! I shall fight in this War with honor, for the sake of myself and the world! – From the Exalted Throne, attended to by three great words of power, come forth from the ring of restraint, Protector of the Balance!"
Something was happening.
The magical energy was now intense, far more than anything Rin had ever seen in her life. It both terrified and mystified her- this Magecraft! And her father had always known a ritual like this!?
Please… I don't know what any of this is. I'm not even a real Mage. But please… please… if it's really possible…
… A miracle.
I yearn for a miracle. So please… give me the power to reach for a miracle!
A blast of magical energy shot forward, enough to send Rin back flying to the wall, hitting her head and slamming against her back as well. "UGH— !" And with that, she was on the ground.
Rin was trying to get her head wrapped around things, but then she heard something. Footsteps.
"..."
Rin looked up to see a young man. He was a man unlike any that Rin had ever seen. He wore… an archaic armor, and something long of fluffy wrapped around his shoulder. Even without a head injury, she wouldn't have known quite how to describe it, but she did notice the sword hanging on his hip. And even more, the incredibly long silver hair he possessed, marks upon his face, and what appeared to be a crescent moon tattooed(?) upon his forehead.
The man took a few steps closer, looking down at her.
"... You're a sorry sight," he commented.
"Ugh… s-screw you too…" Rin didn't even have the energy to be snarky.
"Human. Are you my Master? Are you the one who summoned me?"
Rin tried to get up, but the soreness had her fall back down in a second. Master…? This was… this…
… This was a Servant? She had expected some kind of small animal familiar, but… this was a man.
"What…?"
"... Are you hard of hearing? Let me ask you again. Did you summon me? Are you my Master?" the man asked, glazing down at the injured girl. "Hmph. Well, that determines that," he was looking at her hand now, and then, Rin noticed something as well.
A red symbol, as if tattooed upon her right hand. It resembled a crescent moon inside a sun. The triangles representing the sun made up one layer, the circle of the sun the second, and then the crescent moon within.
It was a symbol that Rin had never seen, but the man certainly seemed to understand what it was. "I… what… I-I'm… I think I'm gonna throw up."
"What a bother," the man observed, taking a few steps forward, simply continuing to glare down at her. "You look useless, but it would appear that you are my Master. I am the Avenger of the Western lands."
"Avenger… of the Western Lands?"
"You need only all me Avenger."
Rin looked up at Avenger, who simply glared down at her. Her vision began to fade, her head injury a bit more severe than she had thought. He sighed, kneeling down by her. "What a bother."
Wednesday, March 31st of 1999 was coming to an end for Rin Noto as she passed out with the man named "Avenger" picking her up.
At that moment, her destiny was set into stone.
I'm so happy to finally be writing this story.
I'll admit, I feel a tad bit guilty, having written this before getting the next chapter of Honoka's Bizarre Adventure out (although it will be out of hiatus soon), but, in a short period of time, both Inuyasha (especially Yashahime) and the Fate franchise managed to become important to me- and so I've thought about this story almost nonstop! I've barely written in a year... and while HBA remains a priority as well; I knew it, that in order to reawaken my writer's spark, that this passion project too would be important. I've had this story idea in my head for months, and I'm so glad to share it with the world!
As mentioned in the tags, I am trying to write this, much like my other story, in a way that people only familiar with one franchise can jump into even if they don't know the other well- but I will acknowledge that this story would be read easiest by one into Fate, but I'm going to do my best to explain things for all the non-Fate Inuyasha fans, if they want to read it as well!
So please; enjoy, and if you want to leave your thoughts, I thank you from the bottom of my heart! A Feudal Fairy Tale will now begin!