The cavern glowed with unnatural light as waves of magical energy rolled off the giant artificial structure at its centre. The Holy Grail War was at its end, with all seven Servants now dead.
Emiya Shirou limped his way up to the great device. His eyes had lost their light and his body was now slowly breaking apart from the magic that ran uncontrolled within it. He slowly turned his failing eyes up to gaze at his final objective.
And there it is.
Right in front of him was the thing that should not exist.
The very thing that brought suffering to his friends.
The thing that separated his family.
The thing that should not and must not exist at any cost.
The whole war was overshadowed by pain and fear. It caused siblings who should enjoy their time together, to fight. That alone was unacceptable.
Standing before the thing, he felt rage sweeping through his body, filling his very being.
It is something he has to destoy, because it endangered the people he swore to save. Even without the dream of being a hero of justice, it had to be destroyed. Because it not only endangered millions of lives, but his family and friends. Those who he swore to protect before anyone else.
Despite that, a part of him wanted to thank it. Not only did the estranged sisters find back together, but he gained a sister as well. A cute little girl with snow-white hair and a tendency to irritate him to no end. In this short time, she already found her way into his heart. He admitted that their relationship might have started a little bit bumpy, but now.. Now she truly was his sister. Family. And family had to be protected.
But to enable her to live, it had to be destroyed. And to destroy it, there was only one sword to do so. He knew he would die, he knew he won't be able to remember his love ones anymore once he projected the sword, but there wasn't any alternative. So he smiled. He smiled because he could save everyone. He had no regrets left, his ideals fullfilled. He prepared the spell, the projection. In his mind, a sword began to form.
But he knew his current knowledge wouldn't be enough. To recreate this sword, he would have to use his left arm. Concentrating on his left arm, the arm with enormous muscles and a holy shroud, he lifted the seal.
The seal separated his body from the arm of Archer, his alternate self. Transplanted onto him with the help of the fake priest and sealed, so that his soul wouldn't get rewritten by the 'soul' in the arm. There wasn't a soul in the arm of course, just a remaining piece of a copy. When heroic spirits get summoned, a copy of the soul from the Throne of Heroes was used and not the original one. He felt the foreign magical energy entering his magic circuits, unable to contain a shutter as it effortlessly mixed with his own. The sword in his mind was formed and he spoke the words to pull it from his Reality Marble.
"Trace... On."
Shirou's arms slowly rose from his sides, stopping just above his head. As they moved, unnatural scratching sounds could be heard from within, like metal grinding sharply upon metal. As it was, he was now literally made of swords. The very blades that made up his inner world were now the cause of his death as they manifested uncontrollably from within his body and tearing him apart from the inside.
Blue light formed in his hands, taking the form of a jet black sword with some red markings on its blade. It is the blackened version of the Sword of Promise Victory after being corrupted by the curse of Angra Mainyu. Though, it still doesn't change its nature as a Holy Sword and Divine Construct. This is because this sword is capable of holding a dual existence of good and evil. It was an imperfect copy, but it would be enough.
Weakened as it was, the Sword of Promised Victory was still a Last Phantasm, forged by the planet itself and imbued with the very wishes of mankind. The Greater Grail was not an object that could withstand the might of the sword that was held in the grip of the boy, imitation that it was. A jet black aura flared up around the blade of the sword of promise victory as Shirou pumped every last remaining magical energy he had in his body.
"Ex-"
He prepare to call out the sword's true name and unleashes the full might of the Sword of Promise Victory. He swing his hands down and-
"No. You don't have to do this." A voice calls out. "After all, the one who should close the Greater Grail is me."
It sounded so familiar to Shirou. So familiar that he should instantly identify who spoke. That he should gaze upon that person with fear and worry for being where they are now.
Yet nothing comes to the mind of Emiya Shirou but conflict. He cannot remember this person so dear to him.
Who is this?
It was someone important, someone special. Yet he couldn't remember. His mind was burned out all except for that single promise. He tried to bring back whatever memory for this voice. Yet he couldn't.
The figure in white walks toward the Greater Grail, but stops midway and turn around to face Shirou.
"Hey Shirou, do you want to live? No matter what life you'll have? Do you want to live?" The voice asked him.
"Don't... come back here... I'll take him down." Shirou ignored her question, and instead try to convince to her back down from what she's about to do.
He needs to stop her no matter what.
"Do you want to live?" The figure asked again, and this time Shirou found himself unable to give anymore response.
It was a simple question, yet he couldn't even bring himself to answer it.
He knows that if he agrees, that this important person will die. That he will lose something important to him. He didn't want to lose this person.
Yet above all that, his desire to live was also great. Even if it would be one more day, one more hour, one more second, he wanted to live. He wanted to see ****** again and fulfill his promise towards her. He wanted to stay by her side, be with her as they have a new life together.
"I-"
Yet still he hesitates. Because even though he wanted to live and be with Sakura, he doesn't want to lose this girl either. She's is just as important as ****** to him.
His voice begins to croak and even though he should not feel anything, he feels a heavy weight on his chest bringing him down.
"I-"
He feels his tears flow on his face. He feels the weight grow even heavier. He knows he'll lose her. He has to remember her name. Call her back. Tell her that she should live and not him. He has to or she'll be lost forever.
But still, Emiya Shirou wishes to live.
"I do. I want to live." He says heavily, those words weighing down on his chest yet also freeing him of a different burden.
"Thank goodness. I wanted you to live instead of me." The girl said as she took one step closer to the grail.
"No! Come back!" Shirou pleaded to the girl.
"I will show you a miracle. This one will be amazing. After all, this is a true magic that everyone wishes to see."
"I don't care! Just come back!" Shirou pleaded to the girl again to return to him. He don't care about any miracles, he just want the girl to come back. That's why he must remember her name.
But what is it? What was her name?
"Dammit... Name... Your name... What is it?"
"You told me that an older sibling protects the younger one, right? Then I should protect you. I'm the older sister after all. I have to protect my younger brother."
"Illya."
He finally remembered her name. The name of the girl that was his sister. The girl he protected from the mad hero. The girl whose life he stole because Kiritsugu saved him.
"Good bye, Shirou, and thank you. Even though we aren't related by blood, I'm glad that we were siblings." Illya smiles good-bye as she resume her walk towards the greater grail.
"Don't go!" Shirou shouts in attempt to stop his sister, but she just keep on moving.
"Illya! Illya, Illya, Illya, Illya, Illya, Illya, Illya, Illya, Illya, ILLYA!" He screams at her and watch his sister enters the greater grail.
He couldn't reach her, he couldn't hear her voice anymore. He have failed. He have failed to protect her.
He feels hopeless and angry at himself for not being able to protect his sister. His last connection to Kiritsugu.
Shirou grit his teeth, remembering his feeling of anger and regret.
This is it?! This is how it ends?!
No! Not for Emiya Shirou!
With the last of his strength he mutters these last words. "I... I can't stop now, everyone still needs me!" His broken eyes, filled with a burning ember to keep pushing forward, look to the sky.
"I..." He raises his bloody arm and points it to the sky.
"I..." He clenches his hand into a strong fist.
"I will change this FATE! I wish to start over!" Shirou declares loudly.
The Holy Grail reacts to the wish that he made. After that darkness consumed his fading form.
TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT
Shirou had no idea how long since he pass out, but the moment he regain his consciousness his brain feels kind of funny as his mind is assaulted with memories and knowledges that doesn't belong to him.
"Ugh..." Shirou grunted in pain as he shook his head to get rid off the headache that he's currently feeling. He then open his eyes only to be assaulted with a really bright light.
Shirou instinctively raised his hand to shield his eyes from the light. Once the light simmers down, his eyes saw a familiar blonde knight in blue who stood regally under the moonlight within his shed.
Wait? His shed?
'How did I-?!' Shirou's eyes is no longer focus on the blue swordsman in front of him as he scan the room he's currently in.
There's no mistaken, this is really is his shed, his workshop, the place where used to train his magecraft in secret.
But how did he get here? Especially at the time when he summoned her.
The last thing he remember, he was inside the cavern below Mount Enzo as he watches Illya sacrificed herself to destroy the greater grail. So, how did he suddenly-?
'I will change this FATE! I wish to start over!'
He suddenly remember the wish that he made back at the cavern.
'Does this mean the grail had granted my wish?'
"The Seventh servant?!"
The sound of a masculine voice brought him out of his thoughts as he turn his sight towards a familiar blue spearman who suddenly got bushwhacked by the blue swordsman as he got send flying out of his shed.
Shirou then turn his sight at the blue swordsman, and in return, the swordsman also turn her sight on him who was sitting on the floor.
"I am Servant... Saber." She declared in a cold and valiant voice.
"Upon your summoning, I have come forth." She said calmly. "I ask of you: are you my Master?"
Shirou can only stares at the blue swordsman in disbelief. He can't belief that he would come face to face with her again especially with the memory of him driving a dagger between her ribs still fresh in his mind.
He might have forget lots of things, but the memory of him killing her was something he couldn't forget.
Shirou lock eyes with the blue swordsman. A heroic spirit who bears the name of Arturia Pendragon. His Servant.
Shirou didn't say anything for a moment as he is still in shock of seeing the person that he had kill in his war. But, once he got over his shock, he gave her the answer to her question.
"Y-yes..." Shirou stammered while nodding his head.
Saber looks down to the Command Seals on his left hand...wait his left hand?
Shirou looks down and he finally noticed he has his arm! His own flesh and blood, not the tan and muscular arm wrapped with the Shroud of Martin to keep his influence away. But something was off. This is his own left arm, but for some reason he can still feel the slight pain and build-up of magical energy along with his knowledges and memories from it.
There's something feels strange about this.
"Yes, you summoned me..." Saber said with a nod. "...and as a Saber, I answered your call. My sword will be at your side from here on forward. From now on, whatever fate you choose will be mine as well. The connection with us has now been set." As soon as she finished her declaration she stiffened and leaped out the door.
"Wait!" Shirou yells as he tried to stop the blue knight, but he was too late.
"Damn it!" Shirou cursed and he looks to the small red emblem on his hand and gives a small sigh.
"Heh... no rest for the weary, huh...?" He asked, knowing he would get no answer back, he moves to leave the shed.
Shirou still had no idea what's going on, but from the looks of it, he had been sent back in time during the beginning stage of the Fifth Holy Grail War.
If that's the case then he might as well start over and strife to get the ending that he desire.
'Saber, Rin, Sakura, Illya, Rider. This time I will protect you all.' Shirou declares with a great determination in his heart.
To be continued
A/N : Finally, the first chapter is finished as you can already see, this is an adoption story from Fate Stay Night : A new begining written by Sobaryu. His story was one of my favorite and I got saddened when I found out that he's no longer continuing it, but since the story is quite interesting for me I decided to adopt it. But, just so you know, I will also puting my own ideas into this story so, don't be surprise if the story differs from the original idea that Sobaryu has in the original.
I guess thats it from me.
King Frozen Checks out!
