"Time will leave me, I don't mind - It can leave us both behind"
Fate/Brave Shine
Chapter 2: Revelation
There wasn't anything he could do. Not him, and not anyone else. Shirō knew that. Still, he desperately tried to reach out to her. He tried to reason with her, to speak to the part of her that he believed to be trapped behind a wall of apathy. He felt that behind it all, underneath the corruption, was the old Arturia.
She had been corrupted by Angra Mainyu. Her entire personality was different. To him, she felt hollow. Empty. Her once brilliant green eyes had turned an ominous yellow, ones that lacked the fire and determination the former held. Even her blade, Excalibur, had been corrupted by evil, turning to black and red. Everything about her was wrong. He knew that it wasn't meant to be that way.
The only reason he felt that there was still a bit of the old Arturia left inside was the fact that she wanted him to fight her. She wanted him to finish her off when he had the upper hand. It was as if she were asking to be set free. Something he simply couldn't do. He couldn't bring himself to kill her. No matter what wounds she inflicted upon him, no matter how much damage she caused, he couldn't stand the idea of killing her. He could barely stomach the idea of hurting her.
She was injured, now. Badly. He put too much behind his last attack and it nearly killed her. However, unless he finished her off, she would simply regenerate. He couldn't do that, though. He walked forward, approaching Saber's still form which laid upon the cold ground.
"You have won, Shirō. All that is left is to finish it" She said, her voice cold and lacking any kind of real emotion. There wasn't even any pain evident within it.
He dropped to his knees next to her, looking at her broken form. He couldn't believe what he had done. "Well? If you don't hurry, my body will regenerate, and I will kill you" She said with the kind of certainty that left no room for debate.
"No." Shirō said. "No more. We can stop this here, Arturia. This doesn't have to end in death."
Her head turned to face him and her eyes met his. "Do not call me by that name. I left that behind along with the foolish ideals of any battle ending in anything but death."
Her body had begun mending itself. It was slow, but it was more than evident. Time was running out.
"Why?" Shirō asked, his voice high and stressed "Why do one of us have to die? Why can't you just stop? You know this isn't how it should be. You know this is wrong."
For a moment, Shirō thought he saw a flicker of the old Arturia within her eyes, but it went as quickly as it came. She looked away from him, staring back up at the ceiling. "There is no right or wrong. You are my enemy, and I am yours. If you do not kill me, I will kill you, and you will be just like every other enemy I've come across."
"Is that it? Just another enemy? That's all I am to you?"
"That is all that matters" She replied. Her wounds had stopped bleeding and the muscles were being mended. After that, her bones would heal, and then she would attack.
Shirō fell onto his back, every ounce of strength in his body sapped from him. There was no hope left. He couldn't save her, and he couldn't kill her.
Her next words sparked a very tiny amount of hope, but it wasn't enough to get him to move. "Why do you not finish me? Why do you insist this end in any other way?" Her voice sounded like she was genuinely curious, despite the obvious lack of emotion in her voice.
He smiled bitterly, his eyes filled with tears, blurring his vision. It was cold, and with every word he spoke, his breath could be seen. "I guess.. It's because I have a stupid desire. A stupid wish. The first one of my own, and I can't even fulfill it."
"What wish is that?" Her muscles were fully functional now and her bones were being restored at a rapid rate. It wouldn't be long, now.
He turned his head so that he could look at her one last time. Her eyes only brought him more despair. "To save you." He said.
Shirō shot up out of bed, waking from that nightmarish memory. One of many he held within him. He struggled to calm his breathing. "She's still Arturia. That hasn't happened. Not this time around." He thought to himself "I won't let it"
Shirō looked around, realizing that he had indeed been taken home. The memories of the previous night caught up to him as soon as he laid his eyes upon Arcurant, which was placed beside him. He realized that Arturia would likely be expecting an explanation. Briefly, he thought about lying to her, but he banished that thought quickly. He wouldn't lie to her. He didn't even know if he could. Probably not convincingly, at the very least.
He quickly got dressed, knowing he didn't have much time before either Sakura or Taiga showed up. Shirō didn't need to question where Arturia was. He could feel her presence through their connection and instantly knew she was in the dojo. After making his way there, he opened the door slowly to see Arturia meditating, dressed in her casual blue and white outfit. The image of her sitting there peacefully reminded him that, although there was a long way to go, he could still save her.
"I suppose we need to talk," Shirō started "About a lot of things"
Arturia's eyes opened and she looked at him. It was a look he was unfamiliar with. "Yes. I think it would be best if we both revealed what we have been hiding."
A sad smile met his face. She always could tell when he was hiding something. Her words told him that she was likely going to reveal her identity to him. Previously, one path aside, she hadn't due to his own incompetence. She had requested that he allow her to keep it hidden to protect them both. Now, she knew that he could at the very least handle himself. Soon, she'd know that he was capable of much more than that. He was going to tell her everything. No more lies. No more hiding.
Shirō had brought Arcurant with him. He placed it softly onto the floor between them after sitting opposite of her. She stared at the blade intensely. "From your reaction I suppose you want to know what this is, but the answer to that is as long as it is complicated."
His fingers glided along the flat of the blade in a way that a man would caress a lover. "You already know its name. Arcurant."
"Is it a Noble Phantasm?" She asked, still staring at the blade. It was familiar to her in a way that spoke to her very soul, but she was unaware as to why that was.
Shirō shook his head "No. Not really, anyways. This blade has no history. No great past, no legend of its own that gives it power"
He picked the blade up and handed it to her. She was hesitant to take it into her own hands, but only for a moment. The second she grasped the hilt, more questions popped into her head. The balance of the weapon was perfect. The grip was perfect. Holding the blade brought out more feelings of familiarity. Somehow, she knew this weapon without ever actually knowing it. She looked at the fairy runes etched into both the blade and guard. They were similar to those on her Excalibur, but not exactly the same.
She knew Shirō was not lying to her, but it was hard to believe, as she could feel the intense hum of power coming from the blade. It was like a heartbeat. After a few moments, she realized that's exactly what it was. The blade matched her own heartbeat. She looked up to him, her eyes wide with shock. His small smile told her he already knew what she had just figured out.
"Last night was the first time I ever held it. The first time it's ever been held, period" He said, putting her unvoiced question aside. "Before that, it had only had a physical form once before. I didn't get to see the blade until last night."
"Then, how did you-" Arturia was interrupted by a knocking. Sakura. Shirō sighed, wishing they had more time.
"We'll finish this later" Shirō stood, offering his hand to her. She took it, pulling herself up as well. "Listen, when either Sakura or Taiga ask, you're an associate of Kiritsugu, my father, and you have some business to take care of and until it's all done, I've offered you a room here."
Arturia nodded. She already knew how this part worked. "Very well, if that is what you wish."
Sakura and Taiga sat opposite of Shirō and Arturia. Sakura would steal glances at Arturia from time to time, but otherwise kept her eyes away from hers. Taiga, however, was staring right at her.
"So, that's why I offered her a room here. Not like anyone else is staying here." Shirō said, finishing his carefully woven tale. It wasn't a complete lie. She was an associate of Kiritsugu. She didn't know he had passed away until he told her. She truly didn't have any other place to stay, and she was there on business of a sort.
Taiga's head snapped to his direction. "That's not a good thing, Shirō!"
Shirō tilted his head, looking as innocent as possible. "Why not, Fuji-nee? It's not as if this place is full of people. It's just the two of us."
Shirō could've swore he heard a growl come from Sakura's direction, but passed it off as her stomach, as she had barely touched her food.
"THAT'S EVEN WORSE!" Taiga yelled.
Arturia cleared her throat, drawing the attention of Shirō's other guests. "I assure you that I won't cause any trouble while I'm here," she started "And that, from what I know, Shirō is nothing but a perfect gentleman"
Shirō's cheeks burned slightly, but he kept down a blush.
Taiga's outrage quickly deflated "But.. A boy and girl living together.."
Arturia quickly countered the weak argument "Do you not trust Shirō?"
Taiga reeled back "Of course I do! He's the most trustworthy person I know!"
"So it is me you do not trust" Arturia had her now. She hid the small smile that she got from victory over someone else, whether with words or violence. She knew that Taiga would never openly admit that she did not trust her. Not in front of Shirō, anyway.
Taiga slumped in her seat, sputtering "That's- I mean, I don't-"
"Fuji-nee, if you can't trust her, then trust that I trust her" Shirō interjected, hoping to put this matter to rest.
The last bit of fight left Taiga Fujimura at that moment. Shirō knew she was mostly fighting Shirō's decision for Sakura's sake, and that she saw Arturia as a threat to the relationship between him and Sakura she was constantly trying to weave into existence. Unfortunately for both her and Sakura, he simply wasn't interested in her that way. She was kind, soft-spoken, and always helpful. But he could never see her as anything more than a good friend.
"Fine! You can stay. But no funny business!" Taiga said. She looked over to Sakura to gauge her reaction and was not surprised that she looked positively horrified at the idea of Shirō being alone with this woman.
As Shirō and Sakura disappeared from her sight on their walk to school, Taiga having already left to prepare for her own class, Arturia let out a sigh. Things had went better than she thought they would, but she was still worried. Before leaving, as Shirō was gathering his school supplies, he had told her that they would talk after he got home. The problem was, she knew what happened last time.
Rin happened, and Rider happened. She had insisted that she be allowed to come with him, but he put up a good argument. It would be strange if she were to suddenly show up and accompany him, and that wouldn't be good at keeping a low profile. She thought about taking spirit form, but decided against it. She feared that perhaps by taking spirit form, the World would notice what Merlin had done and correct itself, sending her back. Away from Shirō.
Arturia made her way to Shirō's room, where he had placed Arcurant. She still had many questions about the blade, more than she had before Shirō started his explanation. She had even more questions about Shirō himself. Comparing him now to how he was at the beginning of the war last time, he was incredibly different.
The second she stepped into his room, she could feel the hum of Arcurant's power. It was still that of her very own heartbeat. The fairy runes glowed softly, their golden light illuminating the blade and its guard ever so slightly. To her, the blade felt calm. But not a normal kind of calm, rather the kind that comes before a storm. She feared what that storm might be, what it might bring, if the blade were allowed to unleash it.
She inspected the runes, trying to decipher them. Some of them were similar to those upon Excalibur, but most of them were unknown to her. She noted that the runes upon the balled-tips of the guard were all the same, a total of six of them. The runes on the flat of the blade were present on both sides, but each side was different. She thought about which of the fairies might have inscribed their power onto the blade, but came up short.
Arturia decided that she'd wait towards the end of the school day before heading to Shirō. Although he might be somewhat different this time around, he was still selfless. He wouldn't call upon her unless necessary, and he might not think it necessary to do so. She'd take Arcurant with her as well. Just in case.
A screen bearing the moving image of Shirō as he first unsealed Arcurant softly lit an otherwise dark cavern. The moving image was on a loop, constantly repeating itself. Several feet away from the screen sat a young-looking man. His eyes were glued to the screen.
"How many times are you going to watch that, Merlin?" A feminine voice rang out, one that dripped of honey and silk. The man, Merlin, turned to look at the source of the voice. It wasn't a person, but rather an orb of light. Light that did not illuminate but could shine brightly nonetheless.
"It's not as spectacular as I thought it would be" Merlin started "Not as powerful as you said it would be, either" His tone was accusatory, but level.
The orb of light approached him, stopping just short of touching him. "Give it time" she, it, said "Conditions must be met to unlock its full potential. His full potential"
Merlin looked back to the screen, watching as a golden flash enveloped Berserker, taking four whole lives from the Greek giant. "And if he doesn't meet those conditions?" Merlin asked "If he can't, then what?"
"This was just as much of your doing as it was mine, Merlin. You told me he would be capable. You tampered with time itself to make this happen, and then forced me to hide myself away when you brought him here" The orb said, it, her voice now the accusatory one.
"You stuffed me inside of you, 'To make the process easier' you said, and then sent him on his way without telling him everything."
Merlin bristled at that "Arturia was on her way! I couldn't very well let them see each other. As it was he barely got out in time before she got here" He pouted, crossing his arms.
"Why, Merlin? Why not send them back together?" The orb asked, the light of it getting brighter.
Merlin sighed. A sigh that only someone his age could make. The kind that sounded of exhaustion. "You know why, Vivian. It wouldn't have worked"
"It might still not, now that Morgan has been awakened" The orb, Vivian, said.
He nodded sadly. "I can't apologize, Vivian. At the very least, those two-"
"Get to see each other again?" Vivian finished, her voice wavering. "And what of us, Merlin? You were prepared to let the boy go without asking him to free you. If he had, there wouldn't be that chance for us."
Merlin turned to face the orb, its light getting dimmer. "He would have figured out who I am and would have gone back with the intention to free me whether or not I asked him to."
"You trust him that much?"
"I do." Merlin replied "I trust him just as much as I trust Arturia"
The orb's light was fading. "Then I will trust him as well. My time is up. The next time we see each other-"
"Will be in person" Merlin interjected, his voice leaving no room for argument.
"I hope so" Vivian said, her voice and light fading into nothingness.
It was the end of the school day and Shirō was mentally preparing for what was coming. He could only hope that, this time around, Rin wouldn't immediately attack him. After all, she did say that they needed to have a serious conversation later. Maybe that conversation could be had without her launching Gandr shots at him.
"Emiya" Well, speak of the devil herself.
He turned to see Rin standing in the same hallway as him. The same empty hallway he was stabbed in. "Hello, Rin" Shirō said, his voice friendly. "I suppose it's time we have that talk?"
Rin nodded stiffly, her eyes cold and calculated. "How did you survive? There's no way your Saber should have been able to beat that thing"
Shirō couldn't see Archer, but he knew that he would be lingering in spirit form, waiting for any opportunity to attack and kill him, so he spoke carefully. "Well, it was mostly luck I suppose. Illya got bored and left before any serious damage could be caused"
Rin didn't buy it. "I find that hard to believe. She wanted to kill us."
Shirō shook his head. "She wanted to kill you, Archer, and Saber. For some reason she didn't want to kill me. After I stepped in-between Saber and Berserker, she left." Shirō started walking, Rin following him, in the direction of where he found Mitsuzuri last time.
Shirō could see the gears working in her eyes. His lie was working. "But why did you make me and Archer leave? You made it sound like you had some hidden trump card" Damn. He hadn't thought about her asking that.
He scratched his neck and chuckled nervously. "I just didn't want you to get caught up in it. There was no need to put all of us at risk. I figured from the way she addressed me that she wouldn't hurt me, or at the very least refrain from killing me. Besides, you wouldn't have left unless I gave you a good reason to, right?"
Rin was about to answer, but their conversation was cut short as they rounded the corner and came across a female student lying on the ground, unmoving. Standing just a few feet away from her was a purple-haired woman with a strange blindfold on her face. As Shirō and Rin ran towards her, she made a quick escape. Rin stopped at the student, checking her over to see if she was alive and, if she was, what happened. She looked up to see Shirō sprinting forward.
"Emiya! That's a Servant! You don-"
Shirō cut her off, yelling back at her as the distance between them grew. "Take care of her! I'll be fine!" He rounded the corner and he was gone from her view. Rin growled, not liking Shirō's careless attitude. She thought about calling Archer, but refrained from making herself known to the master of this new servant just yet, whoever they might be. She had suspicions, but no proof.
Shirō knew that this Servant, Rider, was leading him into the small wooded area near the school as a trap. She wasn't moving anywhere near full speed, otherwise he probably wouldn't be able to keep up with her.
He skidded to a halt, surrounded by trees. He could hear her laughter echo around him. It came from every direction. She was pleased that her trap had worked. "How bold of you, to come after a Servant without your own" She said, her words almost constricting him.
Shirō stood his ground, his stance defensive, ready to project at a moment's notice. "I was hoping I wouldn't need a Servant, since I only want to talk"
More laughter. "Talk? Are you sane, Boy? I didn't bring you out here to talk"
"I didn't think you did. This place is only used for two things after all" Shirō replied, ignoring her question of his sanity. Shirō strained his ears and heard as she quietly hopped from tree to tree. It was difficult, but manageable.
"Oh? And what two things could that be?" Rider asked, already having an idea of what those were. She didn't let him answer, however. She threw her nail-like dagger towards Shirō at a blinding speed, only to frown as he dodged it.
Shirō watched at the chain retracted the dagger into the trees. "I suppose you're here to fight and not the other thing," He quipped. He still remembered what she had done one of the previous times, trapping him in her Breaker Gorgon, using the guise of a dream to draw out Mana from him through his blood and other means.
He heard what could only be described as a hiss from behind the trees before the dagger was sent his way again, much faster this time. He managed to avoid being impaled, but the dagger was quick enough to leave a gash on his arm. He winced in slight pain. "You're quicker than you let on, boy. I'm impressed" Her words didn't come from all around this time, instead from her direction as she jumped down from a tree, dagger in hand.
Shirō knew Rider wasn't going to stop. Not unless he gave her a reason to. "It's not hard to impress someone who has only seen what Shinji is capable of" He said, hoping that would, at the very least, give her pause.
It did. Her approach stopped, but her dagger was still brought up, ready to attack. "How do you know who my Master is?" She demanded, her voice much rougher than it had been moments before.
"I know a lot of things, Rider. I know your identity. I know your Master's identity. I also know the identity of the person you consider to be your true master." Shirō answered. Her dagger lowered, but only slightly.
"Shinji is disgusting. He isn't worthy by anyone's standards to be a Master. He is only your Master because Sakura doesn't wish to be involved in this war." He pressed, trying to get her to lower her weapon completely. To get her to stand down.
"How.. How do you know this? Nobody should know these things."
Shirō was quick to answer her, lest she get impatient and try to force an answer out of him with more violence. "It doesn't matter how I know. All that matters is that you and I both want to protect Sakura. Killing me won't do that."
"I won't betray my Master" Rider said, bringing her dagger up once more.
"Which one?" Shirō asked "Shinji, or Sakura?"
Rider didn't have an answer for that. When she was handed over to Shinji, she wasn't aware the object of Sakura's affections was also a Master in the war. Killing him would be a betrayal to Sakura, but not killing him would be a betrayal to Shinji, her 'proper' Master.
She wasn't given any more time to think, however. She just barely managed to jump backwards to avoid a cleaving, golden blade. Gripping the blade was another Servant, one that had golden hair.
"Saber!" Shirō exclaimed, surprised at her sudden entrance. She didn't look at him, keeping her eyes on Rider. "How did you know to come here? I didn't use a Command Seal"
"I thought it best to accompany you home. It seems I was wise to think so." Arturia said, keeping herself between Rider and Shirō. It was then that Shirō noticed a wrapped object attached to her back. He instantly knew what it was. Arcurant.
Rider, not liking the odds of both Saber and her strange Master, made a quick retreat. Neither Shirō nor Arturia made move to follow her. Seconds later, Rin and Archer appeared. Arturia instantly put herself between Shirō and Archer, who stepped forward in a hope to force Arturia to attack. Neither of them noticed the unraveled, empty cloth behind Arturia.
"Emiya! Where did that Servant go?" Rin said, walking in front of Archer. Even still, he didn't drop his hostile posture. She noted the gash on his arm.
Shirō shrugged. "She left as soon as Saber showed up. How is Mitsuzuri?" He asked, trying to divert the conversation.
"She'll be fine, but she was almost completely drained of Mana. There were two puncture marks on her neck, so I'm guessing whoever that Servant is has some kind of vampiric historical origins"
That was a huge weight off of his chest. He had hoped that Mitsuzuri would be okay again. He didn't want this war to take any more lives than absolutely necessary. "That's good, then. I'm glad someone like you was around to take care of her. I would have been clueless." A lie, but only a small one. Technically he could have implanted her with Avalon for a short time, but that wasn't possible with the small amount of time he had to chase down Rider.
Rin shifted, not having expected Shirō's words. "Er.. Thanks, I guess."
"So where does this all leave us? Are we still enemies?" Shirō asked. For a moment, Rin considered his words before answering.
"This whole mystery Servant thing is too big of a deal for us to be at odds for now, Emiya. Plus, there's the Bounded Field around the school."
Shirō blinked. Bounded Field? He hadn't felt it's effects. "Bounded Field? Are you sure?"
Rin's head tilted. "You haven't felt it? It's not active but at the very least you should have know about it the second you stepped onto school grounds."
Shirō shook his head. "No, I haven't felt anything of the sort."
At first, Rin was confused. Even a complete novice would have felt the Bounded Field the second they entered it, unless..
Rin had to struggle to maintain a neutral expression. The only way he wouldn't feel it is if his reserves were so massive that his own Mana was greater than that of the Servant's. That was completely insane, but so was the idea of him being a Master in the first place.
"W-Well anyway, it's clear the Servant needs time to activate it. Afterwards, everyone within it will be broken down into Mana for the Servant or her Master." Rin said.
Shirō nodded. "Then it would be best if we work together, at least until we take care of this situation, right?"
"Yes," Rin agreed "We should deal with this together." Archer clearly disagreed with the idea, but said nothing. He'd hold his tongue for now. All he needed to do was instigate a fight, or find a way to break their contract. Then, he could do it.
He could kill Emiya Shirō.
Rin offered to stitch up his wounds, but Shirō declined. There wasn't anything she could do that Avalon couldn't given some time, especially with Arturia so close to him. They had parted ways, agreeing to investigate the source of the Bounded Field the following day.
Now, he and Arturia were heading home, the sun setting behind them. It was clear to him that she still had a lot of questions, and he had a lot to answer for. Especially about how Arcurant disappeared when Rin and Archer showed up.
Shirō checked to ensure nobody was around to overhear them and spoke "So, about our conversation"
Arturia's head turned to his direction, meeting his eyes. "Yes, I was hoping to continue it. I have many questions." The way she spoke felt like he was being interrogated.
"Nobody is around for now, so feel free to ask."
Arturia was silent, thinking of where to start. She had questions, but she also wished to reveal her own secrets to him. "Shirō, how did you come into possession of Arcurant?"
'Straight to the point as always, huh?' Shirō thought. "I think that I've always had it. Part of it, anyways" Shirō began. He noticed the confused look on her face and elaborated. "Arcurant is part of me. It was given shape so that I could save someone I care about from a fate that nobody deserves."
Arturia's eyes widened. What was he talking about?
"You see, I've been hiding a lot more than Arcurant. I'd like to tell you the truth, but I'm not sure if you'd belie-" Shirō stopped, Arturia's hand flying across his chest, stopping him dead in his tracks. She had already switched from her casual blue and white outfit to one more suited for battle, Excalibur in her other hand.
She was staring dead ahead of them into the darkness beyond the streetlight in front of them. The ones beyond it were no longer lit. Shirō had a bad, bad feeling welling up inside of him as he followed her eyes. He didn't have her enhanced vision, but he could see two figures standing in the darkness.
Arturia moved in front of Shirō, able to see the two figures slowly approaching them. As they got closer, their shapes became easier to see. One of them held a spear, and another one held a sword. Their armor was similar and familiar to her, but she was unable to ascertain why. It was pitch black, making it difficult to notice small details in the dark. They stopped just outside of the light of the streetlight closest to them.
This was definitely different from last time. Arturia hadn't faced anything like this during her time with Shirō. But she had seen something similar to this. Not exactly the same, but close. During the Fourth Holy Grail War. She stiffened at the memory of Lancelot.
"Shirō" Arturia said "You must run from here." She had no ability to gauge their skills or abilities, so she was not confident in her ability to protect Shirō and keep him from harm. Even if he held Avalon with him, he could still die.
"No."
"What?! Shirō, those things-" Arturia began protesting
"I won't run away. I won't leave you to fight alone. Not again." Shirō said. He extended his left arm out from his side, his hand open, a small golden glow appearing on his palm.
Not again? What was he talking about? During her entire time back with Shirō, he hadn't once left her to fend for herself. Arturia was confused, but kept her eyes on her opponents, who had resumed walking towards them, the streetlight above them going out. Now, the only light that illuminated the area around them was coming from Shirō's hand.
"I told you, the entire reason I have Arcurant is to save someone," Shirō said, his voice quiet and serious. "So now I need you to trust me. Trust that I can fight by your side."
Arturia was at a loss for words. Who was it he need to save? None of this had happened before. However, he was right. She needed to trust him. She had forgotten, in her wanting to protect him, to also trust that he is capable of taking care of himself. To trust in his courage to fight alongside her despite overwhelming odds. To trust in his ability to win.
"I trust you, Shirō."
As Shirō finished calling out Arcurant, a bright, golden light flashed in his palm. He grasped the hilt and noted that Arcurant felt different. It felt stronger than before. He felt stronger than before. As their enemies descended upon them, he took up a defensive stance, one that Arturia herself had taught him what felt like forever ago, full of courage.
"I still don't understand why you continue to let that ignorant boy live. He's only a liability." Archer said, sitting on Rin's couch. They had been arguing over her alliance, however temporary it might be, with Shirō.
"For the last time, he's a classmate. I'm not going to kill him, and neither are you. Once this situation with the Bounded Field is taken care of, we can talk about what to do -which doesn't involve killing him- afterwards." Rin said. Archer had been trying to get her to 'deal with' Shirō and his Servant ever since they had seen him. At first, she chalked it up to him wanting to get a jump on the competition, but now she was suspicious. He claimed to have no personal desire for the Grail, but he openly suggesed in 'removing Shirō from the equation' on numerous occasions thus far.
"And if he turns on you? What will you do then?" Archer asked, staring at her. She felt uncomfortable under his gaze, despite the amount of authority she held over him.
Still, Rin scoffed. "Emiya doesn't have a conniving bone in his body. I would have noticed if he did over the years we've been around each other,"
"You didn't notice he was a Magus" Archer countered. It was a fair point. Before the war Rin thought she had every potential Magus in the entire city pegged. She had gone over every file and every report, confidential or otherwise, and none of them had any indication that Shirō might be a Magus. Somehow he had flown under the radar of both her and the Mage's Association. That was not an easy task by any means.
Rin didn't respond to Archer. She wouldn't give him a reason to gloat. Instead, she continued working on replacing the jewel she had used on Shirō. She had a feeling that she'd need one sooner rather than later.
These enemies were more menacing than they were strong, Shirō had noticed. He could tell that although they weren't holding back, their power seemed to be severely limited. Arturia and he weren't fighting together, rather they each had an opponent they focused on. Catching glimpses of her fight from time to time told him that she wasn't giving it her all. Rather, she was testing the waters. She had ended up having the sword-wielding one, where he was pitted against the one with the spear. The very same one that he had been stabbed by.
What their opponents lacked in raw strength they made up for in skill. Although their movements seemed almost mechanical, they were extremely precise with no wasted movement. Going up against a spear-user already put him at a disadvantage when it came to reach, which only piled on to it's skill. Shirō's opponent had managed to get in a few shallow cuts, two on his left arm and one on his cheek. His earlier wound inflicted by Rider had been mostly healed by Avalon, but the motions of attacking and defending had caused it to start bleeding again, soaking through his school uniform, which was already damp with blood from before.
Dodging another thrust, Shirō made to counter-attack, only for his opponent to draw back the spear and block his horizontal slice, Arcurant's blade biting into the metal of the spear. Shirō had attempted to trace the weapons of their enemies only to find that, much like Merlin's staff, he was unable to. His attempts at doing so only came back with a feeling of emptyness from the weapons, as if they were simply hollow shells with no real power of their own. Shirō could personally relate to that if he weren't actively trying to defeat the users of said weapons.
As Shirō attempted to press the attack, it seemed as if his opponent increased their skill and strength just enough to keep them at a stand-still. He decided at that moment to not give it his all and realized that Arturia must have noticed the same exact thing much earlier on.
Arturia, just down the unlit street from Shirō, had indeed come to the same conclusion. She had taken to the defensive side of the fight, only probing her opponent's defense for weaknesses when she had an open opportunity. She could tell that their weapons were weak, only capable of standing up to her Excalibur and Shirō's Arcurant through the sheer skill of their users.
She was waiting for Shirō's command, trusting in him to both stand against his opponent and to know how and when to use their own power. The majority of their communication during the fight was nonverbal, relying on their eyes and body language to convey simple but important messages. She had noticed that Shirō was using the same style she had taught him, only she had taught him last time. They had yet to actually train together this go-around. It raised questions that she deposited to the back of her mind, instead focusing on her opponent.
Arturia managed to land a solid blow on her opponent in a downward cut, but was surprised to see no blood seep out of the new hole in her opponent's armor, nor any skin beneath it. Only pure darkness remained. She was so caught up in this revelation that she was unaware what had begun to transpire behind her.
Shirō noticed Arturia's cut and then realized that his opponent was no longer interested in him. It had turned away from him, looking down the street at Arturia, it's weapon in a grip that was not meant to stab or slash, but rather to throw. Before he could react, the specter of darkness had thrown it's spear, and Arturia seemed completely unaware.
"Time Alter – triple accel"
Shirō's body and mind sped up, beyond what he had used before against Berserker. He moved to intercept the spear which had slowed to a crawl in his perspective. Taking advantage of this, he called upon Arcurant. This time, instead of a flash of destructive light for fear of their enemies matching his output, he morphed that power to suit a different need. Instead of attacking, he was defending. Not just Arturia, but himself as well.
The runes on his blade glowed, but a single rune on the balled-tips of its guard glowed the brightest. The glow encompassed the weapon and still continued to brighten. The golden light engulfed Shirō's entire body, turning him into what looked like a streak of gold to an outsider's perspective. On the end of the streak, where it was brightest, Shirō emerged.
Arturia's distraction was brought to an end by a sudden flash of light and then, quickly following that, a smashing and clanging sound. She looked back and saw something both incredible and confusing. With his back to her, Shirō stood, his arm outstretched to the side with wisps of smoke rising from his hand. A spear was embedded into the ground a few feet away with the same smoke rising from it as well, one that was clearly meant for her. Shirō wasn't in his school uniform anymore. Instead, he was in a suit of silvered-steel armor. On top of it all, his Sword was gone.
The armor's boots went up to the bottom of his knees, which were protected by sharp-looking curved plates. Following that were two sets of interlocking plates on his outer thighs that were fastened to his body by leather straps. His arms were similar, with claw-like gauntlets that stopped just past his wrist that were followed by interlocked elbow plates and pauldrons that rested on his upper arms, rather than his shoulders. Next was his chest plate which left much of the back of his body open, but his front was protected by three more interlocking plates. Under the armor was a set of black leather, adding minimal but additional protection. Finally, the armor was covered in the same glowing, golden runes that were etched into his sword.
He was stood up straight, head level. She couldn't see his face, but Arturia could feel his determination. Waves of golden energy emanated from where he stood, illuminating the area around them. Arturia could tell there was no hesitation, no doubt clogging his mind. It reminded her of how he stood against Gilgamesh before they destroyed the Grail the previous time. It was as if his confidence had been given shape, turning into the armor he now wore.
"Shirō.."
All-in-all, it was as much a blade as it was armor. A form-fitting, body-wide blade. Their opponents had stopped, choosing instead to stare at Shirō. He wasn't done, however. He now lacked a proper sword. Quickly correcting this, he projected the only blade he could think of at that moment from his outstretched hand. Caliburn.
Arturia recognized it instantly. "That's.."
The second that legendary blade appeared in his hands, their opponents reacted with what sounded like shrieks and growls from beneath their helmets. They started to act sporadically, but it went as quickly as it came, suddenly turning back into the mechanical monsters they were just fighting. Shirō and Arturia back up against each other and readied themselves, storing her new questions and his explanations for later. However, once Shirō's opponent picked up its spear, they both faded into a dark mist.
On their way home, Shirō noticed that although his Mana reserves were impacted by both projecting Arcurant and Caliburn, as well as morphing Arcurant into The Armor and using Triple Accel, it wasn't nearly as bad as it was when he first projected Arcurant.
They hadn't spoken much in their slight rush to his home, choosing to save their questions and answers for after they were out of the open. Arturia had voiced her doubt at their enemies returning and he shared the sentiment, but they were more worried about being caught out in the open by a hostile Servant who might have been drawn to their battle.
Arturia had insisted upon taking care of his wounds, using his first-aid kit to do so. She was surprisingly gentle, taking care not to agitate the cuts. This required him to be shirtless to grant ample access to the cut on his arm inflicted by Rider, which caused them both to blush slightly. Shirō found it surprising, as in this point in time, as Arturia had said before, she thought of herself more as a knight than a woman.
"I guess you have more questions now than you did before, huh?" Shirō asked, checking over his fresh bandages. Arturia had done an excellent job in both treating the wound and applying said bandages.
She nodded. "I have many questions, but I also have to reveal a secret of my own. It starts with my identity. It is important that you know who I was," Arturia began. "In life, I was a King. My name-"
"- Is Arturia Pendragon. Once and Future King of England-" Arturia was still shocked at his words despite having already called her name once. Shirō hadn't known her identity until she had told him last time.
"-Raised by Sir Ector, trained to be a Knight, and Guided along the path to Kingship by Merlin, the Magus of Flowers-" Her jaw threatened to unhinge. She knew of her own legend, but nobody had known Merlin as the 'Magus of Flowers'. Nobody except those who had known him.
With a shaky voice, she asked her question. "How do you know all of this?"
Shirō smiled. It wasn't a happy one. It was one that told of deep sadness and regret, one that was etched with a lifetime of pain. "I know part of it because of the legends. The stories. I know part of it because of what Kiritsugu told me. Mostly, I know because you told me, Arturia."
Her heart skipped a beat in her chest. What was he saying?
He sighed, rubbing his sore neck. "You told me a lot about your life. About Camelot and the Knights of the Round Table. About how you and Kay would argue over who would win your spars. About how Percival would try to prank Agravain," His voice softened then, recalling the more somber things she shared with him. "About how Bedivere came back twice before finally returning Excalibur to the Lady of the Lake,"
Arturia found it difficult to breathe. She had begun putting the pieces together.
"You shared these things with me just like I shared my past with you. Mostly, it was during our breaks when you were helping train me to defend myself," Shirō called upon Arcurant, the blade phasing into physical form once again, resting in his hands. "It's because of you that I can protect the people I care about. It's because of you that I have this,"
Shirō gently set Arcurant down, resting it on the table between them. "I know all of this and I'm capable of all these things because I've done this before."
There it was. The confirmation she needed. It explained everything, from the vision she had to his behavior to Arcurant itself. He wasn't looking at her, instead looking down at his hands. If he were, he'd use those hands to brush aside the tears that had begun streaming down her face. He'd see her smile.
"Shirō," She whispered, finding it hard to speak. He kept going, though.
"Not just once, either. I have the memories of going through this war time and time again, and the one thing that was consistent through it all was how I came to feel about you," He touched the blade of Arcurant gently, feeling its hum, the one that matched Arturia's heartbeat. "It's you, Arturia. I have Arcurant so I can save you."
He stopped speaking when her hands found his. "Shirō," She said, causing him to look up at her. She was crying. Why was she crying? It didn't suit her. It didn't match the smile on her face. "Your past doesn't define who you are, it just gives you the starting point of who you're going to be"
Everything in the room stopped. That was something he had told her what felt like a lifetime ago, after she had first confided in him about her past. Those were the words he had later spoken to Archer, someone who was just as obsessed with his past as Arturia was with hers. Words that eventually led to he and Arturia falling in love. There was no way Arturia could know those words, no way she would even speak them if she did unless she had already come to terms with her past. Somehow, some way, she had been sent back like him.
"Merlin?" He asked, his voice nothing more than a whisper, one that was as fragile as it was hopeful.
"Merlin." She confirmed.
There it was. They had both revealed their separate, but intertwined secrets. He was shocked. Stunned silent, his jaw hanging open and his eyes wide. His heart had skipped and was now beating as fast as it ever had before. Her words echoed in his mind over and over, each time becoming more and more clear.
They did the only thing that seemed reasonable at that moment. The one thing that made sense to them. The one thing that they had each wanted ever since seeing each other again. They embraced each other, holding on as tightly as possible for fear of being ripped apart again.
Outside of Shirō's home, beyond the bounded field, far enough away that she wouldn't be detected, was Rider. She could see the scene taking place. She had witnessed the fight between those two and the phantom-servants. She couldn't tell what was being said, not without revealing her own presence, but she had a good idea.
She hadn't yet returned to Shinji. Instead, she had followed Shirō. His words and his actions didn't match what she had been told about him. Not entirely. He was an anomaly. Even more intriguing was his blade and armor, and more than that was his relationship with his Servant.
At first, she felt angry. Angry at his words, and angry at his embrace with his Servant. Angry for Sakura. He spoke about wanting to protect Sakura, he had to be aware of her feelings, and yet he threw them away for a Servant.
Her anger faded, though. It faded to curiosity. Why would he care about a Servant? They were tools. Instruments of violence and war. He was a Master, yet he didn't act like one. He genuinely cared for his Servant, and that confused her. How could someone so open and caring also be as powerful as he was?
She knew, deep down, that he also cared for Sakura. That he wanted to keep her safe and happy, but wasn't able to do that and be truthful about his own feelings. When she acknowledged that fact begrudgingly, her anger dissipated completely. Only confusion remained. She was unable to come to terms with Shirō having genuine feelings for a Servant. Not on her own.
Rider didn't return to Shinji that night. Instead, once she had seen everything that there was to see about Emiya Shirō, she went to Sakura. Not to expose Shirō to her, but to ask questions. Questions that she couldn't find an answer to on her own.
A/N: The story keeps coming. Both to me, and to you, dear readers. Great strides have been made this chapter, but there is a long, long road ahead. Longer still, now that Rider has seen things she wasn't meant to see. Things that were meant to stay private.
So, The Armor, huh? I bet that was a surprise to a lot of people. In truth, it was a surprise to me, too, when I first began writing this story. Its conception was around the time I first started thinking about writing this. It shares the same name with The Sword, but provides different benefits, as you probably have noticed. Someone well-versed in the lore of the Fate Universe might realize that the design of the armor is based on several things, including the Armor of Fafnir. You'll see more about The Armor in the future. Perhaps it will even get an amended name, if I can think of one.
This chapter has seen Shirō and Arturia reveal their twin secrets. It was quite an emotional scene to write. I had to stop a few times. I'd like to thank everyone who had read this far and those of you who have given me some feedback. I appreciate it and hope to get some time to respond to the reviews.