Day 1: Signs, Into the Sunset
"Ryouko. Ryouko!"
The girl in question awoke to the feeling of being shaken. Her eyes fluttering open, she saw a blurred face above her, outlined by what she assumed to be purple hair. "Oh, hi Sakura. Just a couple more minutes, then I'll join you for breakfast." With that she closed her eyes once again. She had a really comfortable pillow.
"Oh, that's a shame." Sakura said, knowing Ryouko hadn't fully gone back to sleep. "Because it isn't breakfast time. It's actually right after the club practice. You slept through school, and if you don't get up soon, you'll be late for your practical."
"The practical can... wait..." Ryouko's eyes shot open. She sat upward, almost headbutting her... Friend? Close Friend? Best Friend? Pseudo-Sister? Whichever. Anyway, she sat up, almost headbutting Sakura, and looked at the other girl in shock. "WHY DIDN'T YOU WAKE ME UP!?" She exclaimed.
Sakura remained completely composed. "I tried, but you didn't respond at all. I would've gotten Fujimura-sensei to help, but she'd already left. Eventually, I realized that I would be late for archery, so I left."
"...Shit." Ryouko said, then she ran to her wardrobe in order to begin changing, until she realized Sakura was still there. She turned around to ask Sakura to leave while she changed, and saw the other girl's grin. A quick glance at the alarm clock confirmed it. It was only 6:00 AM.
Ryouko afixed Sakura with a flat look, causing the other girl to giggle.
"I'm not even mad." Ryouko said, shaking her head while grinning helplessly. "Not even mad." She then realized her state of dress. "Um... can you..."
Sakura blushed. "Right. Of course." With that, she left.
Well, that was certainly an effective wake-up. Ryouko thought as she put on her school uniform. It certainly would've been shocking if she missed the practical examination for her motorcycle license, which just happened to be today. Fujimura Raiga, or "Grandfather," as he wanted her to call him (not that she ever would), had given her one for her sixteenth birthday, after she'd expressed an interest in getting one while fixing up his constantly broken motorcycle. Naturally, that meant that she not only had to get a license for it, but also that she needed to... enhance it with her magecraft. She'd modified it to work with her "Merlin Gas" as fuel, recalibrated the accelerator, increased the durability, and really just improved the performance the best she could. The problem with all the investment, of course, was that she couldn't actually use it at the moment.
She finished getting dressed, and walked into the kitchen. Thankfully, Fuji-nee wasn't here, otherwise she'd tear into Ryouko about meaningless things like "getting up on time" and "making sure Sakura didn't do all the cooking, because Ryouko is the owner of this house." Ryouko's main objection with that last one was that she technically didn't own the house - Raiga did - and while she realized that was mostly semantics, semantics were the best part about debates.
Speaking of food; however, Sakura was doing the cooking today, as was expected. Ryouko only did it when she woke up before Sakura arrived: the other girl actually enjoyed cooking as an art, rather than simply a means to acquire food to eat. Really, the only reason she still made breakfast those rare times when Sakura got to the Emiya household later than Ryouko's awakening was because she still felt slightly guilty about having the other girl do all the cooking. That said, she had gotten into the habit of sleeping in because only Sakura made actually good food. Looking on the cook herself, Ryouko noticed the practiced ease and grace the other girl moved with when making breakfast. Frankly, she thought it was beau-
And let's cut off that train of thought. Ryouko thought. I've known her for eight years. We're practically sisters! That'd just be weird.
Turning, Sakura saw Ryouko standing in the threshold of the kitchen, staring. "Um... Ryouko, how long have you been standing there?" She asked.
Er... "An amount of time that does not bear mentioning." Ryouko answered evasively. "Do you need any help?"
"Not at all." Sakura said. "This is your house, so you should be able to relax while I make our meals."
Ryouko tilted her head to the side, confused. "I... don't think that logic really works out. Like... you're technically a guest, right? So logically I should be serving you."
"And doing nothing is the best way you can serve me." Sakura responded, not missing a beat. "I enjoy cooking, and I enjoy eating food that is made in a less... amateurish manner. Besides, I can't have a nice meal anywhere else now, so at least let me have this."
"Huh... Okay then." Ryouko sat down at the table. "Wait... so if we ate out together at a restaurant, it wouldn't be pleasant?" She teased.
Giggling, Sakura brought the dishes to the table. "I wouldn't necessarily say that. After all, we haven't eaten out together."
Ryouko grinned. "That can be remedied. When are you available?"
"Don't you already... know..." Sakura's laughter was cut off when she glanced at the back of Ryouko's hand, her mirthful expression transforming into one of shock.
"What, is there something on my face?" Ryouko asked, not reading the mood at all.
"No... Ryouko, your hand." Sakura said. "How did that get there?"
Ryouko looked at the hand in question, and saw what looked like a really angry rash, the flesh turning crimson instead of light red. "I... have no idea. I don't think I've come into contact with any allergens recently. Heck, I don't think I even have allergies..." She trailed off, considering the possibilities. I can discount allergies for now, which leaves disease, extreme environmental conditions, or some other medical condition that I didn't know I had before. Considering the fact that the last possibility would be most likely noticed earlier, it can also be discounted. I would also remember extreme environmental conditions, which leaves disease. Despite that, I need to actually make sure that it's none of the others, which would all probably be more... acute. If it fades within... 2 days, I'll say it's nothing significant. If it doesn't... well, I'll burn that bridge when I get to it. "In short, the best option for now is to just do nothing." Ryouko finished aloud, looking up to see Sakura still frozen in the same position she'd been in when she noticed the rash. "Are you okay? You haven't touched breakfast."
"Ah, yes... I'm fine." Sakura said. "I'm actually not... that hungry." Ryouko didn't buy that for a second, but let it slide. She'd press further later - after she had actually eaten.
The sound of the front door opening and shutting with... more than enough force echoed through the kitchen. Ryouko flinched. That could only mean one thing: The Tiger of Fuyuki was here. With that, immediate thoughts about potential troubles were swept aside by the herculean task of making sure everything stayed moderately sane.
\==*==/
Ryouko let her breath out, quelled the disquiet in her mind, and became one with the arrow, with the target. She released the bowstring, and watched as the projectile soared to the target, striking it.
Lowering her bow, Ryouko inhaled and removed herself from the meditative state. The arrow she had fired struck in the 7-Point range. Not her best, but also not her worst. At least she was better than when she'd started. Ryouko and Sakura had been roped into the Archery club by Fuji-nee on their very first day at Homurahara, and over the past year, they'd improved until they were distinctly in the "Good, but not amazing" category.
Once Ryouko retrieved her arrows, she walked to the wall and sat by Sakura. The other girl was sitting out of practice today: she had been too distracted by whatever was on her mind to even maintain the correct stance, she still had attempted to shoot at first, despite the warnings of Ryouko, Fuji-nee, and even Mitsuzuri.
"Do you wanna talk about it?" Ryouko asked.
Sakura sighed. "I'm just... concerned, that's all."
"I already told you, it's probably nothing." Ryouko said. "You don't need to worry."
"I know that, but..." Sakura pulled her legs closer to her, and rested her head on her knees, looking at Ryouko. "I still worry about you sometimes. Just... be careful, okay?"
Ryouko blushed, but rallied. "I'm always careful!"
Sakura gave Ryouko a flat look. "No, you aren't."
Ryouko sighed and smiled helplessly, but her attention was pulled away when she heard loud, obnoxious laughter from the range. She looked over at the source, and saw a 1st year, one of the less proficient ones, struggling to hit the target, while Matou Shinji was mocking him. The kid's fingers were white on his bow.
Shinji. Ryouko thought with disgust. He was practically the incarnation of everything she could hate about a person. Pompous, arrogant, loud, and stuck-up, he acted like a jerk to nearly everyone except the girls he was pursuing, who only liked him for his wealth and his "good looks." Ryouko didn't get that. the only quality she could assign to his appearance was "very punchable face." Still, he had good grades, but as far as Ryouko was concerned, that made it so that rather than being a goon and thus having an excuse, he was just a piece of shit. Interestingly enough, her open disapproval and belligerent attitude towards the anthropomorphic turd was taken by the wider school community as her actually being interested in him. Ryouko would've been more annoyed by that, but she'd long since given up on convincing the general populace of anything... or interacting with them at all in any significant way. She'd only heard about that particular rumor from Fuji-nee, after all.
Ryouko looked around for Mitsuzuri Ayako, the only person in the room who would be able to resolve this cleanly by pulling rank. As was fitting, the Captain wasn't there at the time.
Great. Ryouko thought bitterly. Looks like I'll have to just do it myself.
She stood up abruptly, surprising Sakura as she marched over to the scene. Recalling the school's idol, a Senpai she'd seen tear into Shinji numerous times, Ryouko channeled her inner Tohsaka Rin as she spoke. "Well, if it isn't Matou Shinji. Picking on beginners again? Really, it's rather unbecoming for the Vice Captain of the archery team." She circled the blue-haired prick until she was between him and the person he was picking on.
"Ah, Emiya." Shinji sneered. "You're going to have to speak up. If I heard you correctly, you just insulted the Vice Captain, and when I was doing my best to help this beginner learn, no less."
"Is it an insult if it's true?" Ryouko asked rhetorically, smirking. "Besides, you weren't helping him, although I can see why you would believe you were helping him. You strike me as a person who learns best from a fist to the face. I'm sorry to break it to you, but not everyone is like you in that regard." Behind her, the kid who was being mocked quickly retreated, seeing as he was no longer being focused on.
Shinji glowered. "I'll enjoy wiping that grin off your face, Emiya."
Ryouko's smile only deepened. "I'd like to see you try, Matou."
Shinji's retort was cut off by the sound of someone clearing their throat. Ryouko looked in that direction and saw Ayako, who seemed to have finished... whatever she'd been doing.
"Matou-san, Emiya-san, what have I said about fighting in the clubroom?" The captain asked pointedly.
"We weren't fighting, Mitsuzuri." Shinji denied.
"Nah, we were totally fighting." Ryouko cheerfully confirmed. "I was actually about to suggest knives at sundown!"
Ayako looked at Ryouko, bemused. She blinked. "...Okay... Just, don't do that sort of thing here, okay?"
"Of course." Ryouko bowed extravagantly.
Shinji, on the other hand, nodded absentmindedly. Ryouko didn't know what was on his mind, though, and she didn't bother finding out, even as the school day came and went.
\==*==/
Ryouko skipped down the moonlit street, triumphant (she was actually walking with her motorcycle, but there was a spring in her step, so it counted). She had passed the practical, and gotten her first driver's license! The instructor hadn't wanted to pass her at first, saying her personality was "not fit for Japan's roads, to the point that her mere presence would cause chaos to erupt on the streets," whatever that meant, but once she informed him that hers were not the droids he was looking for, and that he was going to pass her, he agreed. A little hypnosis went a long way. Regardless of whether or not her license was deserved, after years (months) of training, Ryouko felt it was time to celebrate.
Walking down the road home, she saw a little girl standing atop an incline. She was dressed in all purple, which contrasted very well with her pale skin, white hair, and red eyes. Ryouko suspected this girl had some form of albinism, due to both the physical features and the late hour she was active at: it would make sense to reduce sun exposure when you're very sensitive to it, as was the case with albinos. As all these rather pointless thoughts and inferences flowed through Ryouki's mind, the little girl walked in her direction.
"If you don't summon it soon, you're going to die, Onee-chan." The little girl said as she passed Ryouko, causing the older girl to whirl around in shock.
"Huh? What do you mean by that?" Ryouko said, confused. However, the girl had continued on her path. Ryouko turned around and caught up to the little girl. Worst case scenario, this was the Second Owner or something, here to evict Ryouko or sic the Mage's Association on her or something. Hopefully, that wasn't the case. Ideally, this kid was just that: a random kid out at night for... some reason, saying threatening things for... some reason. No, there really were no good options. Seriously, it was nearing midnight.
Ryouko turned to the girl. "Hi, Oujo-chan. Can you explain what you meant by that statement earlier?"
"Hm?" The girl looked at Ryouko, making a questioning sound. "What statement?" The kid smiled innocently, obviously feigning a lack of knowledge.
Ryouko didn't fall for it. "Y'know. You said that if I didn't summon 'it' soon, I was going to die. What did you mean by that?"
The little girl rested a finger on her chin, tilting her head as if in thought. "No, I don't think I said anything like that. Are you sure you weren't just imagining things, Onee-chan?"
Ryouko bit her lip. While she was mostly sure that this kid had said something threatening, she technically didn't know that, and it was theoretically possible that she had just imagined whatever that was. Even so, she couldn't really press the issue further. That left the other concerning thing about this girl.
"Okay, that is fair. I might have been imagining whatever I thought you said." Ryouko relented. "However, there is still a matter yet unaddressed. These streets are no place for any little girl, even if Fuyuko is mostly safe. What are you doing, out at this hour?"
The young kid looked confused, and maybe a bit saddened. "I... I was just out, playing. Isn't that what normal kids do?"
"Maybe. but not usually at this hour. Let's get you home, ok? Your parents must be worried sick."
"Don't have any." The girl corrected Ryouko flatly, yet with a measure of sadness.
"Oh." Ryouko said as she took in this new information. She then knelt down and held the girl's shoulders. "I know what it's like to lose a parent. Don't worry though, it gets better. Trust me on that, okay? It's going to get better. Promise." She said solemnly, and gave the girl a quick hug, before pulling back and giving the girl a confident smile. The kid just stared back at her, confused.
"Anyway, do you have people to take care of you?" Ryouko asked, getting a nod in response. "Good. Do you know where to find them?" The girl nodded again. "That's good. Say, do you want me to help you get there?" The girl shook her head. "Why?"
"I can get there myself..." The kid muttered.
"I don't doubt that." Ryouko said. "But you never know who might be lurking in the shadows of this city. There are dangerous people out there, y'know."
"I'm capable of defending myself." The girl claimed. "I don't protection. Besides, there aren't going to be very many dangerous people in the forest outside town."
"Well..." Ryouko considered this. "If your house is there... then I can walk you through the city, and we can split up at the forest. Does that sound good?"
"Yes." The girl murmured her assent. Following the... negotiations, the two of them didn't really speak that much. The young kid seemed to have a lot on her mind, and Ryouko thought that her usual routine would be... unwelcome. Once they reached the city limits, they parted ways, with the girl walking deeper into the forest, and Ryouko going home.
\==*==/
Ryouko walked in the direction of the Matou household to check on Sakura. As a consequence of afternoon archery practice, the practical exam for her motorcycle license, and walking that girl to the forest, she had only been able to get home at midnight, long after Sakura and Fuji-nee had left. Sakura had been kind enough to keep Fuji-nee from eating all the food, so Ryouko had been able to fix up leftovers to eat. She would've liked to have it fresh, but what can you do?
When she arrived at the Matou Manor, she only saw one light on: the one in Sakura's room. Ryouko supposed that the seaweed-haired prick was off with one of his girlfriends, which would explain his absence.
Ryouko heard something. It sounded like... insects chirping? That didn't make sense: it was still winter. She began to feel distinctly uneasy. There was not just that unseasonal sound. When she listened closely, Ryouko was able to hear a... squelching sound?
"Excuse me. Do you need something?" Said an unfamiliar voice. Ryouko turned to the source, and saw an old man, dressed in a kimono and carrying a walking stick. He was completely bald, and his face was covered in hard lines, as if he had spent his entire life scowling. Still, despite his appearance, he carried himself with a dignity that, when coupled with his sharp eyes, made him feel... powerful.
"What is wrong, young one, why don't you answer? If you don't answer, I shall jump to conclusions. Hmm, so, can I assume you're the stranger Sakura was talking about?" The old man said, while Ryouko was still considering him in her mind. "Geez. Since it is my granddaughter's wish, I can't just let you go. I'm sorry, but I will have to hurt you a bit. Just to be sure, you don't intend to hand yourself over to the police graciously?" He continued before Ryouko had a chance to explain herself.
Granddaughter? Then that means this is Sakura's grandfather. Ryouko considered. She... has mentioned a grandfather before, I think. I guess I just forgot. She then spoke up. "Um... n-no, I'm actually Sakura's friend, Emiya Ryouko. I just came along in order to check on her. She's home, right?"
"Zouken." The man said out of the blue.
"Huh?" Ryouko had no idea what he meant by that. She wasn't even sure if that was a word.
"Matou Zouken. You named yourself, so it is only right for me to do so." He then turned around and walked back to his house, leaving Ryouko standing there awkwardly.
...Okay then. She thought. "Um... I guess I'll just -" She was cut off by Zouken turning back to her.
"Sakura is home." He said. "More importantly, Emiya Ryouko, is the daughter of the Einzberns doing well?"
Ryouko's eyes widened in shock as she snapped into readiness. "What do you know about that!?" She demanded.
Zouken smiled slightly. "It is natural for the daughter of the Einzberns to go see Emiya. I am asking how well it went this time around."
Ryouko was too stunned to respond.
The old man's grin widened creepily. "I'll leave you to think about that." With that, he returned to his house with light footsteps that did not seem fitting for a man of his age.
Ryouko got her thoughts under control. ...Okay. So, he mentioned the "Daughter of the Einzberns." The Einzberns are the family that Dad fought on behalf of, and so their daughter is... most likely Illyasviel... Although it could refer to any female person from the Einzberns. The only person that I've met recently that could be the daughter he mentioned is... that little girl. But when I was eleven, Dad said that Illyasviel would be 13, meaning that this girl was not Illya, simply due to her age. But why now? Why is she here? Ryouko recalled the first thing the girl had told her. Summon. Dad mentioned that he had summoned King Arthur to fight in the Holy Grail War. She felt a sinking sensation in her chest. ...Shit.
She ran at top speed to her house. The Holy Grail War was beginning, and she needed to make sure that neither she, nor anyone she loved, got caught in the crossfire.
\==*==/
When Ryouko arrived at her house, she saw a certain blue-haired pest standing between her and the entrance. She grit her teeth. What was he doing here!?
"Ah, Emiya," Shinji began, "I was wondering when you would show up. I wouldn't want to miss our... arrangement."
"What are you talking about!?" Ryouko shouted angrily, paying no attention to the odd slithering noise she began to hear.
"Ah, you don't remember?" The bastard smiled. "And here I was, so excited for 'Knives at sunset.'"
"Yeah, well." Ryouko fumed. "It's far past sunset, and you don't have any knives. So there. Leave before I find one and stick it in you."
"Oh, I'm hurt." He said melodramatically. "I was really hoping for some action, so much so that I even brought a friend." With that, a tall woman in a blindfold and a really impractical... garment appeared out of thin air. Her pink hair was insanely long, and she carried a pair of daggers attached to long chains. "Meet my Servant, Rider. She has enough knives on her to make it really 'Knives at sunset.'"
"It still isn't sunset!" Ryouko protested impotently.
Shinji made a show of thinking about that statement. "True. Let's hope you can survive till then, shall we? Rider, you know what to do." The woman began stalking towards Ryouko, radiating Prana in small waves.
Ryouko assessed the situation. Okay, I'm assuming this 'Rider' is like King Arthur: a Heroic Spirit summoned to fight in the Holy Grail War. I most likely do not stand a chance against her. At least, not without my Mystic Codes, meaning in order to survive, I need to get to my workshop as quickly as possible. In order to do that...
Ryouko began to chant. "Heat, become motion... Howl, wind!" She used what heat energy there was in the air to cause a torrent of freezing wind to hurtle towards "Rider," with the intention of knocking her back. Additionally, the sheet temperature and pressure...
Rider dashed through the blast as if it was just normal air, with the spell disappearing upon contact with the woman. Ryouko just barely had enough time to curse mentally before she threw herself into the wall, avoiding the woman's dagger. But it wasn't enough. The weighted end of the chain came flying towards Ryouko, who instinctively caught the ring.
That was her first mistake, as she was then pulled along with the chain, dragging her off her feet and over the ground, with a course that would lead her to being slammed into her house's wall. Thinking quickly, she rotated herself so that it would be her feet that hit the wall, and cast another spell, using the motion of the chain-whip to push herself upwards, clearing the barrier. She let go, and cast another spell to absorb the force of her impact.
When she landed in her house's courtyard, she began to run towards her workshop, but then the alarm Bounded Field around the house sounded. She turned around to see a black blur hurtling towards her. Rider.
Ryouko dodged the initial strike, but failed to avoid Rider's kick, which sent her flying back with more force than a normal human could ever muster. She quickly translated her motion into heat energy, shooting a blast of fire at Rider, which, again, did absolutely nothing.
Aside from making sure that she didn't turn into a human pancake, that is.
Ryouko landed on the wall, and kicked off above Rider, just narrowly dodging the chains. She rolled into her landing and bolted to her workshop. Just as she crossed the threshold, she felt a hand close around her neck, applying enough pressure to make breathing difficult. She tried to pry herself free, but to no avail. She felt herself being lifted up by her assailant, even as her alarm rang again, signalling Shinji's entrance.
"Well, Emiya, I am impressed." Shinji said, as Ryouko was turned around to look at his smug, punchable face. "I didn't expect you to be a mage, of all things. Still, you didn't defeat Rider, so it really just means that I got even luckier."
She thought of shooting a fireball at him, but that would be a terrible idea. If she tried anything, Rider could probably snap her neck in an instant. So instead, she opted to humor him. "And... how does that... make you... lucky?" Ryouko rasped out.
His smile grew even wider. "It's quite simple, really. You're going to give Rider your blood so she can become even stronger. Since you're a mage, you'll give us much more power than a normal human could."
"Yeah... well you have... a very... stupid face... Matou." Ryouko eked out. Strange, her insults tended to be much more biting. She guessed that the lowered oxygen levels were getting to her.
Shinji sighed. "Rider? Do it."
Ryouko felt the hand on her neck move to her mouth, as Rider held Ryouko's body up with her other hand. She felt her neck get punctured, and pain exploded from there. She closed her eyes tightly, flailing about in a useless attempt to free herself. She remembered Avalon, and how Kiritsugu had said that he had used it to summon King Arthur. She desperately called out in her mind for someone, anyone to save her. She felt a sharp, yet comparatively minor pain in her left hand. The same hand that'd had the rash.
The worst of the pain suddenly faded, as Ryouko felt herself drop to the ground. The last thing she saw before she passed out was a girl in a white dress, holding an ornate-looking sword.
