Chapter 1

Unknown Place

A warm, calming wind brushed passed Ardrice's left cheek making him groan. He slowly opened his eyes and saw a white ceiling. He slowly got up and noticed something. The bed he was in was a four poster and elegant one, fit for a true king. The walls were white while pillars were gold.

He could tell that it was made in real gold for it was shining brightly from the morning sun. I am not in my room...am I dreaming again? He slowly looked to his left and saw an open door towards a verandah. And on the verandah, a tall figure of a man, clothed in a familiar blue cape, stood with his back at him.

"My servant?" Ardrice slowly recognize his servant as he watched his red, spiky hair swaying together with the wind. He reached him out with his left hand and was about to touch him.

"Ah!" Ardrice woke up and saw the familiar dull grey ceiling of his condominium unit. "Another dream-ah!" he winced and looked down and saw his right shoulder and left thigh, completely covered in bandage. He was only clothed in a white boxer brief.

Last night, my servant helped me fix my injuries. He recalled and glanced at the side table on his right where a medium sized red bottle stood. "Good thing I brought my healing binding elixirs." he yawned as he stood up and walk towards the closet to get his clothes.

"I wonder where's my servant?"Ardrice slowly walked along the corridor looking for his familiar red haired servant.

"Wow." he heard an exclaim from the verandah and Ardrice paused by the door way as he saw the back of his servant. The same royal blue cape and waist length red spike hair, greeted him.

"Good morning, servant." Ardrice began as the servant turned to him and smile.

"This is amazing. I never thought humans can create such marvelous feats of engineering." he said, excitedly making Ardrice rows his right eyebrow. "Wait you don't know what a skyscraper is?"

"I know, it's just that the way you humans build it is more primitive than ours." he explained as he stood in front of him.

"Forgive me for not asking first. How are your injuries?"

"It's fine. Though still shaken, its my first time to join the Holy Grail war." Ardrice explained as he put his hands on the railing and looked down on the buildings.

The servant smiled and closed his eyes. "Learn from mistakes, master. A wise person said that to me once." he opened his eyes and glanced at his master's right hand. "And you're about to learn another thing, for your about to make a mistake."

Ardrice glanced at him, confused by what he said. "What?"

"Command seals binds me to you am I right master? Sadly it wasn't complete yet." Complete? Ardrice looked at his right hand. Three jagged lines were tattooed on his skin, the command spells that binds the servant to the master. Then Ardrice suddenly remembered.

"Oh right, we haven't exchanged our names yet. I am your Master, Lord Ardrice F. Defensor...just call me Ardie." Ardrice bowed sheepishly for he almost forgot a proper procedure on summoning a servant. The telling of each other's identity.

The servant bowed to him lightly. "My name is Lion-O, King of the Kingdom of Thundera and of Third earth, leader of Thundercats."

Lion-O? King? "Wait you're a King?" Ardrice pointed out and Lion-O only nodded with a light grin. "Well-that explains the cape." Lion-O chuckled under his breath. "I never thought of you as a Noble man," He looked down at him and added. "You're too small to be a 'Lord'."

Ardrice pouted and was about to scold him when a loud rumble echoed from Lion-O. The King stopped and his face slightly turned red. "Karma works fast apparently." Ardrice stared down and remembered that they hadn't break fast yet.

"Say, Your majesty-"

"Please, just call me Lion-O, Ardie." Ardrice smiled and forgot his anger to him. "Is cereal fine with you?"

Ardrice watched in amazament as Lion-O drank and emptied his fourth bowl of cereal. The King put down his plate and burped loudly in front of him. "Whew, human invention sure is cool! Love the milk by the way." Of course since you're a cat. Ardrice grinned as he drank his glass of milk.

After the two ate Ardrice and his servant sat again on the table, a teapot stood between them and two cups of green tea.

"Say Lion-O. How much do you know about my world, is the knowledge from the Holy grail is sufficient enough for you to cope up with my world's technology?"

Lion-O glanced at the flat screen TV, amused by its design. "Yes, though I couldn't help but admire this world's techs." he looked down as his hot green tea. "And since we're talking about a grail. I would like to confess something."

He paused and closed his eyes as his face reddened. "I don't know anything about this Holy Grail War."Ardrice made several blink. "Eh? Wait, Lion-O, is this your first time joining the Holy Grail War too?"

"Yup." Ardrice let out a vehement sigh. "Fine I'll explain as fast as I can." he paused for a moment, took a sip of his tea and then continued. "The Holy Grail wars is a battle royale between Masters and Servants for the Holy Grail, an omnipotent-like object that could grant the winner any single wish. The Masters, usually proficient Magi, summons Heroic Spirits from either the past, present or future, which will become their familiars through a binding contract. The proof of the contract are the command spells or seals."

Ardrice raised his right hand showing his command seal, the three jagged lines. "The command seals are focused spells made to command a servant against its will."

Eh? Lion-O blinked and gulped in tense. "The Holy Grail war was created by the Three Founding Families. The Einzbern, the Tohsaka...and the Makiri, now known as Matou. No one knows why they built it but rumors say that they're trying to reach the Akasha, or the Swirl of the Root, the source of all and everything. And that can only be obtained by acquiring the Holy Grail."

Lion-O quietly sip his tea. "The command seals who invented it?" he asked, curiously. "The Mikiri family, or Matou family as of now." The servant put down his tea and smiled at him. "Ardie...you wouldn't use a command seal on me...right?"

There was a long pause between Ardrice, whose face was calm and emotionless, and Lion-O whose face was stuck in a nervous crooked grin. "Of course not Lion-O! You're too kind for that. I always thought that the Matou family are into extreme, violent, perverted stuff. And I hate that." Lion-O sighed in relief.

"Now where was I? Ah, in the Holy Grail war. The Grail chooses seven masters as its participant. And due to that, seven Heroic servants from different classes are summoned." Seven, different classes? Lion-O thought strangely. "Wait, last night. That annoying goldilock servant, he said you were the eighth."

Ardrice looked down and avoided his servant's eyes. "Yes, I know that. But I have to join this war. I need to win this war." Lion-O noticed his seriousness, he stopped and changed his question immediately. "What are the seven classes?"

Ardrice's jovial mood came back and he explained. "Usually there are seven classes of Heroic servants in the Holy Grail war." He stopped and stood up. He opened the small refrigerator behind him and took out a zipped bag of rainbow themed M&M's and sat down again.

"The first one is Saber-Class," he took out a yellow m&m and put it in the table. "This class excels in agility and powerful melee attacks. Usually equipped with swords, and considered to be the best among the seven classes, for they have excellent ratings in all parameters."

He took out an indigo m&m and lined it to the yellow. "Second one, Archers. This class is proficient in projectile attacks and, sometimes, total independent action. They can survive for a day or two, even without masters. Considered second to Sabers."

Ardrice then took out a blue m&m and lined it beside the brown. "Third, Lancers. This class is very agile and excels in mid-range attacks. This class is usually equipped with spears or lances. Thus their namesake, considered third to Archers."

The boy then took out a violet m&m and placed it beside the blue. "Fourth, Casters. Strong in magic and usually they have a skill called 'Territory Creation. They could create spaces or territory that could enhance their sorcery."

He took out another m&m, an orange one and placed it beside the violet. "Fifth, Assassins. This class excel in assassination. They usually attack Masters more than Servants. They are equipped with 'Present Concealment, which allows them to remain undetected by others."

He moved on to the next, he took out a green m&m and placed beside the orange. "Sixth, Riders. This class's specialty is speed and powerful Noble Phantasms. And they are experts in riding everything, from simple horses to celestial creatures or godlike machines."

Ardrice paused as he took a sip of his tea before he took out a red m&m. "Last one, the seventh one, is Berserker. This class...well, are Heroic Servants who went mad or crazy during the time when they are still human or normal beings. They usually have a skill called 'Mad enhancement' which makes them truly powerful, they could compete with the other six classes without difficulties."

He paused, casted his green eyes at Lion-O, before he added. "It is said that Berserkers are very difficult to control that they could even kill their own Master out of rage."

Lion-O sat silently as he looked down at the seven M&M's representing the classes of Servants while absorbing the words from his Master. He gulped down, tensely. "All of them, I have to defeat all of them, am I right?"

"Yes." Ardrice answered and then added cheerfully. "And it's a good thing that you're a Saber, the most powerful servant class, and not a Berserker-class, because Berserkers cause nothing but trouble." he said proudly only to meet a long silence from Lion-O.

Saber-class...oh no, Lion-O cleared his throat and asked slowly. "Um, are there any other classes, besides the seven, that could join the Holy Grail war?" Ardrice opened his eyes to Lion-O. "Yes, of course. I heard that the third Holy Grail war had a heroic servant with a class of Avenger, as a participant. But it was killed in the early rounds, because it was imperfect and weak."

Lion-O groaned lowly which Ardrice noticed and then a creeping feeling entered the boy. "Say Lion-O...do you know you're a Saber-class?"

Lion-O didn't answer, his eyes avoided his Master's gaze, as sweat formed on his forehead. "Lion-O...what is your class?"Why do I have a feeling that something is wrong Ardrice gulped down in terror, eyes slowly widening as he stared at Lion-O.

Lion-O glanced down at the m&m before he took one from the chocolate bag, a black m&m, and placed it above the seven other classes. "The Holy Grail… it told me. I'm sorry Ardrice." he paused and casted his blue-teal eyes at Ardrice before he continued. "My class...is the BEAST-CLASS."

Ardrice froze in his chair. The word 'Beast-class' echoed loudly and painfully inside his head. "Come again…?"

"I said, my class is the Beast-class." Lion-O repeated, he looked away from Ardrice, whose eyes widened more in shock. "WHAT!? You're not Saber? What on earth is Beast-class!?" Ardrice slammed his fist on the table.

Lion-O cast a sheepish, peaceful, smile at his Master's horrified and petrified face. "Um, I don't know-"

"You don't know-UGH!" Ardrice put both of his hands on his face, frustrated that he didn't summon the strongest servant-class.

Now that explains this poorly, drawn, command seal, he sighed and glanced at Lion-O. "Sorry...it's just that...ugh. Karma sure is a bitch." I should've studied the relics that I acquired-no, stolen-from the Magus Association. Ardrice stood up and walked across the living room and onto the verandah.

Lion-O followed silently, his face was a worried one. Ardrice breathed the air of Fuyuki city and watched the city below. "Lion-O, I'm truly sorry. This is the first time that I've joined the Holy Grail war."

The servant stood beside his master and looked also down to the city. "I am sorry too, that I didn't tell you my class earlier. I must've shattered some of your expectations for me."

"You've shattered every expectation that I have on you." Ardrice replied bluntly making Lion-O looked down and felt downcast. "Which means I have new expectations for you." Ardrice replied and faced his servant with a smile and determination.

"Lion-O, will you work with me? Will you help me win this war?" Lion-O, sensing his Masters, unwavering spirit, answered with pride. "Of course, Ardie. Why should I refuse?"

Fuyuki Church

The church of Fuyuki city stood silently in the dark. The entrance alcove was poorly lighted by a single yellow bulb above a statue of Mama Mary. It was already night time, the wind was cold and unnerving, it swept across the graveyard in front of the church.

A boy in black jacket, with a white shirt underneath, and pants walked across the entrance with his hands in his pants pocket. His golden hair waved together with the wind as his red eyes silently stared at the door before he walked inside and was greeted with silence again.

Candles, that adorned the wall on his right, provided poor illumination but he didn't mind for he could see clearly the other person standing in front of the altar. The other person was a priest in black robe and with shoulder-length brown hair. He was reading a bible in front of the large altar and white, marble cross.

The boy continued and sat down on the front pew and cast an arrogant glanced at the priest. "I'm here. Last night was a failure by the way. Who's that person anyway?"

The priest stared down at his bible with dead, black, eyes. "Hmph, it doesn't matter. He was a special master by the way."

The boy servant cast his red eyes at him. "What, how special? He just summoned a weakling Saber-class from god-knows-what place." The priest, this time, turned to look at him and made a dark smirk. "Did he, now?"

"Did he what?" The boy servant, irritatedly, asked and the priest answered coolly. "Summon a Saber-class?"

The city lights gleamed beautifully below the verandah of Ardrice's unit. Lion-O was still standing and watching the city life below him. He smiled as he felt the peace that will soon be shattered by the Holy Grail War.

A wind brushed against his fur and after a while he decided to retire for today.

Lion-O entered the silent living room again. Ardrice was already asleep and he, too, felt tired. He was about to go to his bedroom to sleep when he glanced at the dinner table. The eight M&M chocolates were still there. He went to it and cast his eyes down.

"The seven servants." he said in a plain tone as he picked each of the chocolates, except for the last one and put it in his left palm. "Of course, Ardrice, why should I refuse…such a tempting omnipotent object, like the Holy Grail." he paused and closed his palm and began to slowly crush the seven chocolates, before he continued.

"Yes, we will win, Ardrice. We will certainly get that Grail...at any cost." he began to form a smile but it was a dangerous, menacing one as he looked down at the last remaining chocolate, the black M&M.

Woo-Hoo! Second chapter! Thank you for those who read and like my fanfic, I hope you will like this second one. What do you think will happen next? What are the hidden powers of the Beast-class? And how do you think Lion-O and Ardrice will win the holy grail war! Stay Tuned for more! (Feel free to leave some reviews if you want to.)

Disclaimer: I do not own Fate series and Thundercats, and also the M&M's (poor chocos, there are no M&M who got hurt in real life while making this fanfic).