"On the darkest of my days you saved my life"
Fate/Brave Shine
Chapter 1: Repeat
Shirō's eyes shot open and he lurched forwards. He scanned his surroundings to find himself back in his room at home. A barren room that held very little in the way of decoration and an ample reflection of the way he once viewed himself. Shirō cupped his face in his hands, trying to figure out if what he just experienced was a dream or not. Trying to figure out what was real and what wasn't.
He went over the memories in his head. Memories that contradicted each other. That wouldn't make any sense, unless..
"Trace, on"
Judging the concept of creation
Hypothesizing the basic structure
Duplicating the composition material
Imitating the skill of its making
Sympathizing with the experience of its growth
Reproducing the accumulated years
Excelling every manufacturing process
Moments after uttering two simple, yet incredibly powerful words, Shirō's hands curled around the hilt of a sword he had only seen in the dreams of Arturia Pendragon until he first projected it himself in order to defeat Berserker. Caliburn, the sword of selection. He marveled at both the blade itself as well as the fact that all of his memories were legitimate.
It was larger than Excalibur and much more ornate. However, it was still a viable weapon when put in the right hands. He could feel the energy residing within the blade. He could tell that in the right hands, Caliburn would be everything the legends said. He banished the blade, sending it back to his Unlimited Blade Works. For a moment, he felt empty, not having a blade in his hands. A lingering effect from his time under a contract with the World. He was so used to having a weapon of some sort that not having one felt wrong.
Shirō's eyes widened, recalling what he had gone through to get to where he was. The blade. The one he and Merlin made. He thought about calling it out, but stopped at the last minute. There was no telling what the blade would be or what it would do. If he somehow damaged his home, there would be a lot of questions, especially from..
Sakura.
Shirō realized that going back in time meant that Sakura would be alive. He had a second chance to save her as well.
No. Not just her.
Everyone.
As he got dressed, he chided himself for forgetting. This wasn't only about him. This was about everyone. "She wouldn't want me to forsake others just to save her."
He stopped. What would she say? Would she remember? If not, would she believe him if he told her the truth? Would she be willing to let him destroy the Grail? What would he do to convince her? What could he do?
Shirō was pulled from his thoughts after a knock on the door was heard. He finished getting dressed and went to answer it. He opened the door and for the second time he was put onto an emotional roller-coaster. Sakura was there, like she was every morning before the war.
"Good morning, Senpai."
It was beyond jarring to sit at the table and eat breakfast with Sakura again. The last time he had seen her, well, one of the last times he had seen her, she was completely different. She was twisted into a dark, vile thing that had no regard for the life of others. He wouldn't let that happen again. He would kill Zouken before he can do any more damage to Sakura.
"Is something wrong with the food, Senpai?" Sakura's question and worried glance roused him from his thoughts.
He looked down to his plate, realizing that he hadn't touched it. "No, I guess I'm just not hungry right now."
Shirō realized that his answer disappointed Sakura by her demeanor, but he truly didn't feel hungry. He passed it off as a side-effect from being hurled through time like he was. Try as he might, he couldn't get Merlin's words of warning out of his head. His warning that going back with the intention of freeing Merlin would bring down Morgan le Fay's ire upon him. He hoped that she would hold off until the end of the Grail War, but he knew to expect anything regardless.
He could feel Sakura's worried glances that she'd take every few moments. He didn't know what to say to assuage her fears, but he realized something about her. On her hand were remnants of three Command Seals. That meant she had already given up Rider to Shinji, even if Rider would still regard Sakura as her 'true master'
"Sakura, what happened to your hand?" Her head shot up with a deer-in-headlights look. A light blush graced her face when Shirō picked up her hand and examined it.
"I-It's nothing, Senpai. I was just clumsy when cleaning is all."
Shirō already knew the truth, but pressed anyways. "Does Shinji have anything to do with this?"
She was quick to shake her head. Too quick. "N-No. It was just an accident."
He let go of her hand after a few more seconds. She brought it close to her chest and looked downward. Shirō sighed inwardly. Shinji was yet another person he'd have to deal with. He questioned whether he was worth saving, or if he even could be saved. He glanced at the clock and noticed that they were going to be late.
"Uh-oh."
Shirō had little time to reminisce as he and Sakura hurried to school. As they approached the school grounds, they were stopped by none other than Sakura's brother; Shinji. He was storming towards them with an angry look on his face.
In the back of his mind, Shirō felt the urge to hurt him. It went as quickly as it came, but the lingering feeling remained.
"Sakura!" Shinji yelled. "You're late! Again!" He came to a stop in front of them, completely ignoring Shirō's presence as well as the barely contained rage just beneath the surface of Shirō's expression.
"Nii-san," Sakura started, trying to apologize for being late, even though she truly had no need to do so.
"This is the third time this week you've skipped out on your duties for the Archery Club!" He yelled
Sakura curled inwards, clearly made miserable by Shinji's incessant raging. "I was-"
Shinji cut her off "Helping Shirō, is that it? That doesn't give you the right to neglect your duties without my permission!" His hand raised, as if to strike her. Shirō knew he would if he didn't stop it. After all, it had happened before.
However, he didn't need to. Instead, his wrist was caught in an incredibly firm grasp by none other than Rin Tohsaka, who had done so from behind him. Shinji recoiled and spun, nearly falling over himself in the process. "Tohsaka?! Don't get involved in others business!"
Rin was not like Shirō, who could resist making a bad situation worse. She was smarter than him and much more experienced in various types of Magecraft, but her social skills were less than stellar. However, she was good at one aspect of social interaction: Shifting blame and guilt.
"Shinji, you berating your sister in front of one of your classmates for being late is only making them and yourself more late for class." She said in the matter-of-fact kind of way she was so well known for.
Shirō's reaction to seeing Rin again was much like it was when he saw Sakura. The strongest memory of the last time he saw her was that of her being impaled by Gilgamesh after Archer was done-in. It was a gruesome and heartbreaking sight. They had been friends that time around. Seeing her alive and well again was almost too much to handle. He reminded himself that hadn't happened yet, and if he had any power over Fate, he wouldn't allow it to get that far.
"W-Well fine. But stop being late, Sakura! And Emiya, stop making her do things when she has better things to do!" Shinji yelled, heading back into the main building at a quick pace.
Shirō turned to thank Rin, but by the time he did she was already heading inside herself. "I guess some things are just hardwired."
Shinji hadn't asked Shirō to clean the dojo, but he did so anyways. He had to stick to the script for the time being. After he was certain of himself and where he and Arturia stood, then he'd be more willing to make big changes. Until then, he'd have to take a more measured approach to things.
He'd seen Kuzuki, his ever-calm demeanor still the same. As he cleaned the dojo and awaited the battle between Lancer and Archer, he wondered about the best way to deal with Caster and her master. He didn't want to kill Kuzuki-Sensei. He had reformed himself after living a terrible life, and his only reason for relapsing was Caster and the war.
He was an incredibly dangerous man, able to go toe-to-toe with Shirō. Well, past-Shirō, that is. He was more than confident in his ability to beat the man as he was now, but he didn't want to have to come to that. He really didn't even want to kill Caster if she hadn't yet begun absorbing souls. If possible, Shirō preferred to refrain from killing. He'd done enough of that under his Contract.
Caster wouldn't be so easily persuaded, however. She truly wanted the Grail. She believed in its power to grant wishes. He didn't fault her for that, just her methods for obtaining the Grail. He knew who she was and why she wanted the Grail. He knew of her betrayal of her first master, and how she freed many children who he planned to sacrifice. Her entire existence in life was that of betrayal, constantly being stepped on and treated like less than a human being. Spited and called a Witch. At the end of her life, she succumbed to darkness and was tainted by evil.
He understood her desire to purify herself of the evil that held her so firmly. He knew that her method of calling out the Grail's power would be possible, but if she were to do so, he wouldn't be able to destroy the Greater Grail. He wouldn't be able to save Arturia. To him, that was unacceptable.
Shirō's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of battle. It was time.
He eased out of the dojo quietly to approach the spot he always found Archer and Lancer. There, he saw them. Just like last time. And, just like last time, Lancer was quick to notice him. The second the Cú Chulainn's red eyes met his, Shirō ran. He hoped to make it home without having Rin stumble upon him supposedly bleeding out. He didn't want to get stabbed again.
He a pumped a small amount of Prana into his legs, reinforcing them so he could run faster. A trick he had learned under his Contract. He could reinforce objects as well as his body. There were drawbacks, of course, but in a time of need it worked better than nothing.
As Shirō rounded a corner within the school, he came across something he had never seen for himself before and stopped dead in his tracks. There was a person standing in front of him, clad in armor reminiscent to that of Arturia's, holding a spear. It wasn't the Child of Light, however.
This person had wisps of dark energy lashing off of them. It encased them and gave them a menacing look. A helmet blocked Shirō's view of the person's face, but did nothing to hide two red, glowing eyes. Shirō had never personally seen something like this before. But, he had seen it in his dreams. Dreams of Arturia's past. She fought someone who looked similar to this. Lancelot.
Before Shirō could turn to run the other way, before he could even think as to why this thing was here, the armored specter was in front of him and he had a cold feeling in his stomach. He looked downwards to see a spear sticking out of it, the specter's hand on the other end of it. Shirō didn't scream. He didn't cry out. He simply fell to the floor, his body sliding off of the spear which made a sickening sound.
He heard quick footsteps and tried to move his head, but it wouldn't budge. All he could see was the feet of the specter, the interloper who shouldn't be there. Then, he heard a voice. Lancer's.
"Hey!"
The specter vanished into thin air, just before Lancer's spear could hit it. "Damn.."
Shirō saw Lancer's feet turn towards him and winced in pain as the Servant's feet roughly pushed him onto his back.
"Looks like someone got to you before I could. Sorry kid, but your luck is pretty terrible." Lancer said, looking down at Shirō. "He severed the majority of your spinal cord. Even if you did live, you won't live a happy life."
So that's why he couldn't move, Shirō thought. Avalon could heal worse, but it took time.
"Archer!"
Suddenly, Lancer was forced to retreat, with Archer viciously attacking with his twin signature blades and Rin launching several of her Gandr shots at him.
"Go drive him off! I have to take care of Emiya." She said.
Shirō couldn't believe this was happening. It shouldn't have happened. He should have just gone home and awaited Arturia's summoning. Shirō saw Archer regard him with a distasteful look before running off after Lancer, followed by Rin approaching him with a worried look on her face.
"Listen, you've walked into a situation way above your head, Emiya. I'm gonna take care of you now, but only because of what it would do to Sakura if you died here." Rin said, taking out a familiar looking gem. He wanted to tell her that it wasn't necessary, that he'd heal on his own, but he couldn't. He couldn't even shake his head. All he could do is lie there.
"Once you're able to move, you should get home." Rin said, standing up and wiping the blood on her hands onto her skirt. Without so much as a goodbye, she took off. Presumably to chase after Lancer.
Shirō waited for a few moments before rising to his feet. He didn't have the heart to tell her that her gem stopped being needed halfway through the process. That would have raised too many questions and he didn't have time to answer them all, nor did he wish to. He did heed her advice to get home, though. Just as he always did. Arturia would be arriving soon and he had to be there for that. As he made his way home, Shirō thought about what he would do and say. How to react. How much truth to reveal to Arturia.
He could feel himself being watched. Clearly, things were different this time around. He just didn't know how different, or how much of an impact it would have. He wondered if that weird specter was following him, or if it was someone else. As he approached the gates to his home, he saw Lancer approaching him at a slow speed.
"I'm not sure how you're up and walking, but you should have stayed down." He said, brandishing his red spear. "I would have been fine letting you live, but my master doesn't want anyone unnecessary getting involved."
Behind him, a blue glow was coming from the top windows of the Emiya workshop, which poked over the walls of the compound. Lancer didn't notice, but Shirō did. He hoped that Arturia would arrive before Lancer would get serious about killing him. As he thought that, he realized that sticking to the script is what got him into this exact same mess as before.
This time, it would be different. As Lancer approached, Shirō uttered two words under his breath.
"Trace, on"
Judging the concept of creation
Hypothesizing the basic structure
Duplicating the composition material
Imitating the skill of its making
Sympathizing with the experience of its growth
Reproducing the accumulated years
Excelling every manufacturing process
"Sorry kid. Nothing personal." Lancer said, pulling back his spear arm, aiming for Shirō's heart. A strike that would have been blocked by what Shirō was planning on projecting. Would have.
Instead, his barbed spear was blocked by an invisible force, surrounded by swirling air.
Lancer jumped backwards, startled by this sudden appearance.
"I am Servant Saber." A strong voice rang out "Upon your summoning, I have come forth."
Shirō's golden-brown eyes met twin emerald ones that were framed by golden hair. Eyes he once thought he'd never see again. They were beautiful. She was beautiful.
"I ask of you: Are you my Master?"
Four simple words made to form a question. A question that was as complicated as it was simple. One that, upon being answered, would change Shirō's life forever. Again.
"I am." He said, his resolve hardening. He could swear he saw the hint of a smile on her face.
She looked to his hand for confirmation, though she didn't truly need to. She already knew. She could feel the connection between them. More than that, she knew that there could be no other person to take the mantle. It had to be Shirō. It could only be him.
"Yes, you summoned me. As Saber, I answered your call. My sword will be at your side from here on out. From now on, whatever Fate you choose shall be mine as well. The accord between us has been struck."
She turned then, setting her eyes upon Lancer. "I will take care of him." She said. She burst forward with tremendous speed, catching Lancer off-guard.
Shirō watched as he witnessed Arturia battle the Child of Light. He knew she had the upper hand, but he also knew that she wasn't aware of Lancer's Noble Phantasm last time. He followed their battle down the empty street, calling out to his Servant "Be careful! His spear is dangerous!"
Arturia already knew that. The Cú Chulainn's Gáe Bolg was a powerful weapon, capable of always hitting it's target. A weapon that was linked to Fate itself. As she battled Lancer, she was aware she'd have to force him to retreat or defeat him quickly. Otherwise, Shirō might get involved. She wouldn't let him get hurt again for her sake.
"Saber.. That's a sword you're using, right?" Lancer asked, a small grin on his face.
"Perhaps. Perhaps not. Maybe it's a bow, or an axe. It doesn't matter what it is, because I'll end this right now."
Lancer's laugh met her ears. "Ha! You, defeat me? That's a good joke, Saber!" He yelled, thrusting his spear forward, intent on hurting her. She parried the strike and cut him across his chest. Not a deep wound, but one that was telling of their difference in skill.
"A joke, was it?" Saber started "Perhaps the true joke is your skill with your weapon, Lancer. You've yet to come close to hitting me. That's a disgrace to your class."
Lancer's anger got the better of him. "You want me to hit you? Fine!"
Red energy began billowing out of his spear's tip, signaling the coming activation of his Noble Phantasm. He jumped backwards and raised his spear, positioning it to throw.
"GÂE!" Lancer's cursed spear glowed a vibrant red, poised to strike Arturia.
Arturia's desire to protect Shirō meant that she couldn't allow Lancer to finish calling upon his Noble Phantasm, otherwise Shirō would get in between her and the spear. Her plan was to counter his Noble Phantasm with her own. If Lancer were killed, his Noble Phantasm would be rendered innate, even well beyond it's apex of activation. That was her theory, anyways.
However, such action wasn't necessary, as Lancer was forced to halt his Noble Phantasm's activation and dodge a particularly powerful Gandr shot from the newest arrival on the scene. Rin Tohsaka, Shirō's classmate and master of Archer.
The red-eyed man jumped backwards and moved into a defensive stance. Archer and her pesky master were back and to his left, and Saber and her incompetent master were in front of him. Even with all his bravado, he didn't like his odds. So, he chose to retreat.
Seeing this, Arturia called out, as she did last time. "Running away, Lancer?"
Lancer sighed. "My Master ordered me to observe. He didn't want me to fight anyone quite yet, and now he's calling me back. You're welcome to chase after me, but if you do I'll have to target that little Master of yours!" He yelled, speeding away from the scene.
He was gone.
Arturia prepared to engage Archer. Though she had no desire nor intention of harming Rin, Archer was a threat to Shirō. He was a future self of her Master, who wanted to kill the person known as Shirō Emiya so that he might be relieved of his Contract with the World. He would stop at nothing to see it through, going so far as to betray Rin.
She would not allow it to get that far. Not again. Not now when she knew his true intentions.
Before she could move to engage Archer, a strong hand clamped down upon her shoulder. She looked over and saw Shirō. He wasn't looking at her, instead focusing on Archer and Rin, but his eyes held fire that didn't exist last time until much later into the war. The strength of his grip was also an anomaly.
"Hello, Rin" Shirō said, addressing his classmate.
Rin came into view, almost fading into existence the way she came from the darkness into the light of the streetlight. "Out of everyone, it just had to be you. And here I am, looking like a fool for healing an enemy."
Shirō shrugged. "Technically I wasn't a Master until I got home."
Rin sighed, her shoulders drooping. "I thought I knew every Magus within the city. I suppose you're not quite as in over your head as I said, huh Emiya?"
Shirō released his grip on Arturia, trusting her not to attack unprovoked. "Oh no, I'm still in way over my head. More than you know, Rin."
Arturia found it curious how Shirō addressed Rin with familiarity, where as she treated him like a stranger. Just how much was different? What was going on? What did Merlin get her into this time?
"You know this girl, Sh-Master?" Arturia stumbled on her words. Shirō hadn't yet asked her to call him by his name. Her stumble was something the old Shirō wouldn't have caught.
This Shirō, the one with the memories of several timelines did catch it, though. He made a mental note and filed it away for later. "Pretty much everyone at our school knows of her. She's something of a celebrity at school. I wouldn't say I know her personally."
'Not yet, anyways'
Rin was caught off guard by Shirō's comment. She thought they were equally unaware of each other. At least, that's how it would seem from the outside. She was more aware of Shirō than she was willing to let on. He was the reason Sakura always seemed happy, and that was why she kept tabs on him discreetly and even admired that about him.
"A-Anyways, does that mean you're unaware of what all is going on here?" Rin asked, changing the subject. Archer stood by her, his twin blades brandished. She could tell he didn't want to talk. He wanted to fight.
Shirō scratched his head, trying to look genuinely confused. "I know a little. Not as much as I'd like, really. Would you be willing to explain it to me?"
Rin gawked at his request. Clearly, he didn't understand they were supposed to be enemies. However, if she complied she might be able to get him to hand over Saber, the servant she originally wanted. With two servants, she'd practically be guaranteed to win the war.
"Can we sit down somewhere?"
Shirō's living room was filled with tension. Very, very thick tension. It was exuded mostly by the two servants sitting there. It was practically a staring competition, and neither one planned on blinking.
Arturia had tried to protest that he let them in their- his home. Her main objection was that of Archer. She didn't mind Rin being allowed inside. Shirō had rebutted her argument by saying that he had complete confidence in her ability and strength should Archer attack.
On the table were four cups of tea. Only two had been touched. Shirō and Rin tried to ignore it for the time being. "So, you know projection and reinforcement, but nothing else?" Rin asked, completely flabbergasted as to how Shirō managed to summon Saber instead of her.
"Yeah. Dad didn't really go into anything else, so I'm mostly self-taught."
That was a lie, of course. Shirō knew quite a bit more this time around, but he couldn't allow Archer to know that. Even letting him in on the fact that he knew Projection was dangerous, but it was important to his story that he get that out in the open. That way, there would be less questions when he finally projected something.
"So two of the most useless magics, and you still managed to summon Saber instead of me. Great." She muttered into her tea, which happened to be her favorite. How Shirō knew what that was, she didn't know.
Shirō shrugged off her comments. "Anyways, I get that it's a war for the Holy Grail. Servants fight each other and the last one standing gets to make a wish along with their Master. I understand the Command Seals and what they do. What I don't understand is why the Grail needs six people to die for it to grant two wishes."
"They're not people, Emiya. They're Heroic Spirits, who all have a desire of some sort that requires the Grail. The Grail isn't some magical wish-granter, either. It needs the magical energy of six other servants to power it to make those two wishes."
Shirō looked to Arturia with a meaningful glance. "I think they're people enough. But why does the Grail require them to die? Why can't they just work together?"
Shirō's comment about them being people was caught by Arturia. Inwardly, she smiled, happy to know that part of her Master hadn't changed one bit.
"Because that's not how it works, Emiya." Rin said, as if that's the end of that line of questioning. In truth, the mysteries of the Grail were unknown to her, but she didn't want him to know that.
"Why not? If it requires death and is so powerful, then surely it's also dangerous."
She didn't know how to answer him. She did know someone who would, however. "I know who can answer your questions better than me. We should go see him anyways, so you can ask him when we get there." She stood up, preparing to leave.
Shirō knew who she was referring to. "Who are we going to see?"
"The man who oversees the war. Kirei Kotomine."
They were just outside of the church when Arturia tugged on Shirō's sleeve, causing him to stop. He knew what came next, of course. She hated Kirei as much as he did. Perhaps more, thanks to their encounter in the previous Holy Grail War.
"Sh- Master, I think it best that I stay out here. The Church is protected, so no harm will be allowed to befall you while on it's grounds." Arturia said, once again stumbling over her words. She hoped that Shirō hadn't caught it. He did.
Shirō gave her a nod. "Saber, I'd appreciate it if you would call me Shirō. Being called 'Master' just doesn't suit me."
For the first time in what felt like forever, he saw her smile again. "Very well.. Shirō."
Shirō and Rin entered the Church together, Archer having taken spirit form at the insistence of his Master. She had done so after a third attempt at getting Rin to dishonorably dispose of Shirō before allowing him to grow as a Master.
"So, what is this Kirei like, Rin?" Shirō asked, looking around the Church. Even now he could feel the wrongness of it. He could tell that this Church hadn't been able to be considered sacred for a long, long time.
"He's a Magus," Rin started "He's very skilled, but also a pain in the ass to have as a Guardian and Teacher."
"Is that allowed, to have a Magus overseeing the war, who might have a personal interest in obtaining the Grail?" Shirō asked.
Rin shrugged. "I don't make the rules, but I don't agree with them either. If it were up to me, I'd prefer not to have anything to do with the man."
Kirei Kotomine, the man in question, emerged from the dark recesses of the Church. "How cold of you, Rin." He said, a small smirk on his face. Shirō hated that smirk. So did Rin. "What brings you here?"
Rin gestured to her classmate "I've brought the last Master here. He's a Magus, but only barely. He is so uninformed of the Grail War that I thought it best to bring him to you, since he kept asking questions."
Kirei observed Shirō, sizing him up. "What is your name, boy?" He asked in a leveled tone.
Shirō had to force himself to answer the question, rather than bringing Kirei into his Unlimited Blade Works and ending him right then and there. After what he had done to Rin a previous time, he couldn't stand the sight of the man. "Shirō. Emiya Shirō,"
Kirei's smirk turned into a full-blown smile. It was not a pleasant one. "Well, Emiya, you said you have questions, but first I must confirm that you are Saber's Master. Please, show me your Command Seals."
Shirō clenched his hand into a fist and raised it for Kirei to see. On the back of his hand were the three Command Seals that every Master received when summoning a Servant.
"Yes, you are indeed Saber's Master. Now, what questions did you have, my son?" The Fake priest asked.
Shirō put his hands in his pockets to avoid punching the man. "Well, my dad told me a lot about the Grail War, but he never told me why the Servants and Masters can't just work together."
Kirei scoffed, "A naive question. The Grail demands the energy of six Servants to power it. That energy is released into the Grail when a Servant dies or runs out of Mana. Without it, a wish cannot be made."
"So the Grail just needs energy? What if the Servants willingly supplied it?" Shirō pressed
Kirei's expression darkened. "Even if it were possible, the Grail is only capable of granting two wishes, one for the Servant who obtains it, and one for that Servant's Master. Any wish can be made. Any question can be answered. You can do anything or be anything. In fact, the Grail is powerful enough to send people back in time for a fresh start."
Shirō's eyes widened. Did Kotomine know something about him? Did he know Arturia's wish? Or was he just positing a scenario?
"So you see why Masters and Servants fight over the Grail, yes? They all want the Grail for some reason or another. They don't want to share."
"I don't want the Grail. There aren't any wishes I have that I can't grant myself through working towards them. I just don't want to see any needless bloodshed." Shirō said.
Kirei, who had turned away from him, swiveled on his heel back towards him. "The only way to rid yourself of those marks on your hand is to participate, boy. Otherwise, they put a target on your back for all others who want the Grail to see. They would sooner kill you and forcibly take the Seals from your dead body than overlook the fact that you're a noncombatant. You can only be protected by the Church once your Command Seals are gone." Kirei exclaimed, clearly not happy with Shirō's position.
Shirō shrugged. "Maybe. Maybe not. I'll participate, but only to prevent needless killing."
The fake priest straightened, smoothing his clothes. "Is that all, Emiya?"
Rin started to say something, but Shirō cut her off. "Just one more question. What's to stop the more violent Masters from destroying the Church and killing all the former Masters inside?"
Kirei's smirk changed into an intense frown. "If a Master were to attack the Church, the full weight of the Mage's Association would come down on them. They would be hunted to the ends of the Earth and killed."
"I see," Shirō said. He ignored Rin's stare. He knew she would bring up the fact that Arturia couldn't take Spirit form, but he didn't want Kotomine knowing any more than he already did. "That's all the questions I have. I'll get out of your hair."
"Very well," Kirei said "All Masters and Servants are accounted for. I now declare the official start of the Fifth Holy Grail War!"
Rin nodded. "Well alright, let's go, Emiya."
Shirō didn't bother looking back.
As they walked together, Shirō kept an eye out for the massive, hulking form of Berserker. Ilya would be coming after them soon. "After tonight we're enemies, Emiya" Rin said. "You should take some time off School, since Saber can't take Spirit form"
"Why do we have to be enemies, Rin? You already heard that I don't want the Grail." Shirō said. He hoped that Arturia would understand this time around, like she did last time.
Rin looked at Shirō like he had grown a second head. "Even if you don't, I'm sure Saber wants the Grail."
They looked to Saber, who was diligently standing next to Shirō to protect him from any possible attacks. Arturia could feel their eyes on her and decided to go along with Shirō this time around. "I swore an oath. If my Master does not desire the Grail, then neither do I." Arturia said, discreetly on the lookout for Berserker. She couldn't fathom how someone so large could hide so easily.
Shirō was surprised by Arturia's answer. Every other time he had told her he wasn't interested in the Grail, she argued with him on it until she finally agreed with him. This, combined with her previous stumbles over her own words was strange.
Rin sighed. "Even if that's the case, you heard Kirei. It's foolish to overlook another Master." She said. From her tone, Shirō could tell she didn't want to be Shirō's enemy.
"So would it be pointless to suggest that we work together? I really don't want to fight a classmate."
Before Rin could answer, they came to a sudden stop. Out of the darkness came a massive form, standing beside a small girl.
"Hello, Onii-chan." Her voice was innocent and sweet sounding, but her eyes and vicious grin were telling that she was anything but innocent. Shirō knew that under her anger and pride was a girl who was just lonely.
Archer appeared out of thin air and Rin moved behind him smartly. Likewise, Arturia positioned herself in front of Shirō. "That thing is dangerous, Shirō." Rin said. For a second Shirō thought she might be talking about Ilya, and she would have been right. She might not look it, but she was just as dangerous, if not more so than any normal Magus.
"It's nice to finally meet you, Tohsaka Rin. But this will be the last time we see each other." Ilya said. It was less of a threat and more of a statement of fact. "My name is Illyasviel von Einzbern. You know what that means, right?"
Rin took another step backwards "Von Einzbern?"
"That's right! But like I said, it doesn't matter who you are. You and those two servants will be dead soon anyways" It was strange to hear a girl her size with her voice saying something so casually. "Go get them, Berserker!"
The monster next to Ilya leapt towards them, sailing through the air like a boulder. He roared as he did so, causing deep vibrations within everyone present. He landed directly in front of Archer and Arturia with a resounding boom, cracking the concrete beneath him.
"Shirō, stay away from him!" Arturia yelled. Without a second thought, she burst forward, intent on preventing Shirō from getting hurt a second time around.
"Archer, support Saber!" Rin called. She turned to Shirō next as Archer sprang into action. "Emiya, we need to take care of that thing's Master. Otherwise, there's a good chance Saber and Archer will lose."
Shirō shook his head. "She's just a little girl, Rin. I told you that I had no intention of causing needless harm."
Rin grabbed his shoulders and shook him as hard as she could. In the back of her mind, she found it odd that Shirō looked mostly nonathletic and yet she was barely able to budge him. "She's trying to kill us, Emiya! We can't afford for you to have a soft heart right now!"
Berserker's gigantic, malformed sword clanged loudly against Arturia's Excalibur with so much force it pushed her back even though it didn't break her guard. Archer moved to slash at the giant only to be punched by the creature's humongous fist, sending Archer flying backwards at an incredible speed, sailing right past Shirō and Rin.
"Get them, Berserker! Get them and kill them!" Ilya gleefully cheered.
Shirō's brain was locked up. He didn't know what to do. Should he expose his skills? If so, what should he do? Project Caliburn like the times before? Maybe something from the Gate of Babylon?
As he saw Arturia take a solid blow from Berserker and her blood spill onto the pavement, the mental roadblock was cleared. He knew what to do. It was the only way to beat Berserker. It was part of the reason he was so confident that he could save Arturia. His own ideals, hopes, and dreams, his own courage. They would protect Arturia. They would allow him to see that radiant smile once again.
"Rin, I need you to get out of here. Take Archer and go." Shirō said in a low, serious voice.
Rin reeled "What?! Saber doesn't stand a chance alone against that thing! You'll die!" Rin exclaimed. She froze when Shirō's gaze fell upon her. It was unlike anything she had seen before. His eyes held more determination and fire than ever, and he looked completely confident.
"She won't be alone. You said it yourself. Tomorrow, we're enemies. I can't reveal my secrets to an enemy." Shirō said. This wasn't how he wanted it to go, but this was how it had to be.
Rin's eyes watered, but she forced the tears away. "Fine! But if you survive this, we're having a serious talk later!"
Shirō smirked. "Talk? With the enemy?"
"You know I don't want us to be enemies, Emiya," Rin said. "Archer! We're leaving. Emiya and Saber are going to cover our escape!"
Archer's bloodied head rose and his eyes widened. They were leaving? Emiya, the incompetent Magus and his Servant were going to cover their escape? Without him, they'd both be killed. He thought about protesting, but he was getting what he wanted. Emiya Shirō would die. Archer nodded, following Rin in a quick escape.
"You think Berserker is going to let you get away?" Ilya asked. Following her unspoken command, Berserker moved to engage, but was kept occupied by Arturia.
Arturia couldn't believe what was happening. Without Archer and Rin there, the chances of them forcing Ilya and her Servant leave were slim. She worried that Shirō wasn't thinking clearly, or that he was doing what he always did by putting everyone, even potential enemies before himself.
As she fought Berserker, panic rose within her. Shirō could die. He could die. Emiya Shirō wasn't a Heroic Spirit. If he died, he was really dead. She couldn't allow that to happen. The only possible way would be to get Ilya to leave would be to use her Noble Phantasm.
Golden magical energy swirled around her. She pulled her blade back and prepared to strike. "EX-"
"Time Alter – double accel"
Only to be stopped by Shirō jumping in between her and Berserker. She didn't hear his quietly spoken chant. Something glowing was in his hand, but she didn't notice that, either. All she saw was Shirō in the way of her and Berserker, with the Greek legend's sword about to come crashing down on him.
"Shirō! No!" She screamed.
Shirō's perception of time was changed. Berserker's blade was moving, but at a slow walk speed. That gave him just enough time to bring forth his own blade. In the back of his mind, he hoped that he would be able to explain it to Arturia. As he reached inwards for the blade, its name became known to him, as did everything about it, down to the smallest detail.
Filled with hope and courage, Shirō called it's name, bringing it to bear for the first time. "ARCURANT!"
The vision of those present was blinded by a brillaint flash of gold. Momentarily, Arturia thought she might have heard wrong and this was Excalibur's doing, or perhaps Shirō had projected Caliburn again. As her vision returned, she saw the source of the flash and knew that it was most definitely not Excalibur, nor Caliburn.
Shirō was holding a blade she had never seen before, yet seemed intensely familiar. It was slightly larger than Caliburn was, which was slightly larger still than Excalibur. The blade was a shining silver, which kept a straight profile until the near-end towards the guard, where it beveled outwards slightly. The flat of the blade had fairy runes etched into it that glowed the same golden color she had just been blinded by, starting near the guard and going a third of the way up the blade.
The guard was a dark steel color cross-guard with three-way balled tips on the end of each side. Her enhanced vision allowed her to see more runes etched on each little balled tip. The hilt of the blade was wrapped in a thin chain, also a dark steel color. It was long enough to allow two hands, but the blade seemed light enough that Shirō didn't feel it necessary to do so.
Finally, the pommel of the weapon had an emerald jewel embedded into it, encased by the same dark steel as the guard and hilt in such a way that showed the emerald off but kept it secure. All-in-all, it was an incredibly brilliant weapon that she felt like she was intimately familiar with, but had never seen before in her life.
"F-four lives? Onii-chan took Four of Berserker's lives?!" Ilya screamed, rousing Arturia with her admiration of the Shirō's blade. Her voice was filled with fear and confusion. Clearly, she hadn't anticipated such a thing happening. Neither did Arturia.
"Shirō.." Arturia whispered, awestruck but also just as confused as Ilya.
Shirō was panting, but he kept his stance firm, the tip of his blade pointed towards the enemy.
Ilya was quick to regain herself. She spun on her heel and started walking back the way she came. "Let's go, Berserker! I'm hungry!"
Berserker obediently followed, looking no worse for wear even though Shirō had supposedly taken away four of the giant's lives.
Just after they left his cone of vision, Shirō fell to one knee, using the blade to keep himself from falling flat on his face. Double Accel was incredibly taxing on his body, and bringing his blade forth didn't help with that. Arturia was quick to reach him, kneeling and putting a hand on his shoulder.
"Shirō," She repeated, a worried tone to her voice. One that didn't suit her.
Shirō could feel his body losing function and his consciousness fading. "Arturia," He whispered, not able to speak any louder. He didn't realize he used her name, instead of calling her 'Saber' "Home. Get us home."
Arturia was worried. Worried, suspicious, and confused. Merlin had indeed sent her back, but he had done something else. Something he didn't tell her about. Shirō was different. He was more confident, knew more than he did before, and he was competent.
Her emerald eyes gazed beyond his sleeping form, settling on the blade beside him. That was certainly different. It was unlike anything she had seen before, but at the same time she felt like she had once held that blade. It spoke to her on a deep, personal level that very few were privy to. Even with Shirō asleep, she could feel the hum of energy radiating from the blade.
She wanted to ask him about it, but didn't know how without revealing the fact that she had traveled backwards through time. She had so many questions that demanded answers.
Arturia was also aware that they were being watched when she sped back to their- Shirō's home. Someone or something was watching them. It definitely wasn't friendly, either. Even now she could recall the sinister feeling she had gotten.
Another difference was that the link between her and Shirō was nowhere near as bad as it was last time. In fact, it was perfect. She had lied to Rin when she asked if she could take Spirit form. She could, but she didn't want to. She didn't want to leave Shirō's side. Not for a second.
Without realizing what she was doing, Arturia reached down to brush aside a strand of Shirō's hair that was blocking his face. The second she came in contact with his skin, her mind was filled with images. Memories that weren't hers.
Shirō sat on a grassy hillside, observing the sunrise. He was covered in blood, but the wounds that caused them had long since been healed thanks to Avalon. Sitting beside him, leaning against him, was Arturia. She was also bloody, but her wounds, like Shirō's, had healed. The sun had just started appearing on the horizon, lighting up the sky and bringing warmth.
They had done it. They won. Somehow, they had managed to destroy the Grail without losing anyone in the process. Rin was safe and sound. Sakura was unharmed and purged of the Crest Worms that had infested her for so long. Ilya was been saved from Gilgamesh and had since taken on the role of Shirō's sister. Yes, they did it all without losing anyone.
Anyone but each other, that is. Arturia's skin was pale and her breathing was shallow. She was almost completely out of Mana, and there was no way to replenish her. She would have been cold if it weren't for Shirō's arm around her, holding her tight against him. They had saved everyone except each other.
No, that's not quite right. Shirō saved her. She had no more doubts about her past. She was able to move on, and that meant she wouldn't return to a nightmare when she vanished. She would be sent to Avalon. There, she'd wait. For Shirō.
She hadn't been able to save Shirō. After discovering Archer's identity, she had tried to steer him from that path, but had been mostly unsuccessful. Fate demanded he become Archer. Shirō promised that he'd try to avoid it, that he'd find a way to Avalon to be with her again, but they both knew the chances of that happening were slim to none.
"Shirō," She said, tilting her head upwards. He tilted down and their eyes met, their faces almost touching. "Will.. Will you say it? All of it?" Her voice was a whisper, something that could easily get lost in the wind despite their closeness, but Shirō heard it plain as day. He could always hear her.
He had said it before. Both parts. Just never together. Not on purpose, just by coincidence. He knew what they meant to her. In her role as King, she had never heard those words uttered. Not together. Not the way Shirō said them. Four words. One name. Shirō was afraid to say it, but only because he knew that when he did, she would still have to leave. However, he was Emiya Shirō, and he always put others first. Especially her.
"I love you, Arturia."
For one last time, he saw her smile. A smile that was as bright as the sun. A smile that wasn't besmirched by the tears streaming down her face.
"I love you, Shirō." Arturia said, speaking her last words to him.
And then she was gone.
And he was alone.
Again.
A/N: Firstly, I'd like to thank everyone for the reviews, follows, and favorites this story has caused. Literally over night this story blew up in a hugely positive way. I've responded to every review thus far (as far as I'm aware) and I've had some nice chats with you fine folk. I'm looking forward to hearing what you all think of the first chapter.
With that out of the way, it happened again. I was listening to my playlist, AmaLee's Brave Shine started playing, and my fingers just started typing. I was working on Michael's Rangers and was forced to stop, open up a blank document, and give life to this piece. You wouldn't believe the amount of research I put into this chapter, and there's still so much left for me to read about! So much to learn and use to help grow my story. I will say it went a bit off-script of how I originally envisioned it going, but the best stories that an author writes will do that from time to time. Arcurant wasn't supposed to show up until a few chapters in, but it wormed it's way in on the very first chapter, as did other things. If it wasn't clear enough, the last part of this chapter is indeed what Arturia was seeing.
Speaking of Arcurant, I'll say right away that the naming of it was difficult, even following James D. Fawkes's formula, which I found to be intriguing. I posited a few different names before this one stuck. It's name comes from three separate words: Arturia, Courage, Radiant. Ar Cur Ant. It represents Shirō's steadfast determination, his courage in the face of overwhelming odds and the unknown, and his desire to protect and save not just Arturia, but all those who cross his path and need saving or protecting, whether they ask for it or not. It's design was taken from a number of things from both within and without my imagination, including Gram, Excalibur, Caliburn, and Durandal, among other things. I won't reveal all the secrets of the weapon, but I will say that a blade is not the only way to protect.
I'll save the rest of my rambling for the next Author's Note. I hope you all have enjoyed reading the second chapter of Fate Brave Shine, and as always I appreciate any feedback you may have.