Chapter 4: Allies
"I'm impressed and terrified how smoothly you come up with all these lies, Master of Archer."
They're like two variants of the same person, Caster concluded.
During the fight with Berserker he had enough time to see through Archer's circuits and his weird skills, which made him look like a mage - or a blacksmith - more than a bowman. And now, when they were sitting together around the table, relatively safe in Shirou's house, Arjuna's sharp eyes scanned the boy from head to toe.
No, not a blacksmith, he corrected himself. Rather a walking forge.
While Tohsaka was explainig general rules of the Grail War to Sakura and Shirou, Caster's curious gaze slowly moved from one person to another.
Rin played her role of a senior perfectly, shifting from nonchalant to strict pretty often, but Caster was not one to be fooled easily. She seemed tired. A bit frustrated as well. And, although she tried to hide it with all her might, worried about her sister.
Sakura was sitting next to Shirou, which, with Rin on the other side of the table, intensified the impression of a mentor schooling her students. She looked like she wanted to melt into the floor, exhausted and miserable, with her head lowered so no one could see her face. Caster, who sat down close behind her, could feel her focus and internal struggles. Whatever decision she tried to make, she took it seriously and Arjuna was sure it would determine their future in this war.
Shirou, on the other hand, seemed more curious than anything else. He truly wanted to understand what was going on, even though he had hard time grasping some rules that originated strictly from the mentality of magi. He did not like seeing people suffer, let alone be a cause of their misfortune. One could take him for a naive fool, but Caster guessed that their young host was just too kind for his own good. If such qualities were accompanied by determination and iron will... Arjuna wished to know Emiya better, even if only to find it out.
And Archer...
He knows that I know. Arjuna smiled to himself. The look the other Servant gave him, when no one was watching, assured him of that.
The most important question was what to do with that knowledge. Caster could easily tell that Archer wanted to keep his identity secret from everyone, especially from his Master. He didn't really care why, as long as Sakura wasn't involved.
However...
The tension between the sisters and Shirou was more than obvious and Arjuna had his guesses at the true nature of their relationship. Judging from the way Sakura looked at Shirou, the boy was very important to her. Arjuna wanted his Master to be happy, and it seemed that her general happiness included Emiya's wellbeing. So Caster was ready to protect the boy, even from himself, if that was Sakura's wish.
Having theories was fine, but judging others and planning next moves basing solely on them - not so much. Caster was always willing to listen to suggestions and good advices. So he decided to act like he used to in the past - observe and learn as much as he could.
Discussing such important matters openly with his Master would be most appreciated, but only if Sakura trusted him. It seemed that she had problems with accepting magic in general, even - or maybe rather especially - within herself.
The fact, that she had neglected him instantly, saddened Arjuna more than he would admit, mostly because he did not consider himself a mage. He knew about modern spellcasting no more than the Grail had filled his Servant form with at the moment of summoning. Along with his sharp mind, these so-called spells were just a tool, a weapon no better or worse than a bow or a sword.
"This is it, I already told you too much, Emiya. It would be wiser to just erase your memory and move on. And I suppose I'll need to take Sakura to the overseer anyway." Rin sighed and finished her tea. "Any more questions?"
All eyes turned to Arjuna, when he unexpectedly spoke up:
"Just one, if I may. When are you going to summon your Servant, Shirou Emiya?"
The commotion near the Tohsaka mansion piqued interest of other participants, Masters and Servants alike. Lancer was nearby as well and observed everything from safe distance, disappointed that those funny kids decided to run instead of going for the kill.
He was about to return to his 'Master', when he spotted Rider on one of the roofs. Fully armored and quite stunning in the predawn glow, she was slowly walking away towards the centre of the town. Feeling an unnerving pressure of the Command Spell, Lancer followed the other Servant, ready to test her in battle.
Rider must have noticed him already, but she decided to ignore the pursue. At least until she took a more favorable position on the highest roof in the area. A fine bow materialized in her hands, when she suddenly turned around, then shot at Lancer several flaming arrows.
It was a nice try, Cú Chulainn admitted in his thoughts, grinning. Although he deflected all arrows, the fire charred the ends of his hair.
"No exchange of pleasantries, just straight to the point, huh?"
"I don't like being followed," Rider explained, dispersing her bow. She must have noticed already that projectiles were mostly useless against this enemy.
"And I don't like being shot. But is it enough to start a fight?"
"Being a Servant summoned to a Grail War is enough to start a fight."
"A fair point." Lancer stepped back, shifting the weight to the right leg, preparing for a long jump. "Shall we?"
He did not wait for her answer, though, just immedietaly launched a fierce attack. Rider not only noticed that but also reacted accordingly, blocking the blow with two short, broad-bladed swords.
Being at clear disadvantage due to the length of her weapons, the swordswoman decided to focus on the defense first. She kept spinning around, deflecting every single strike of the red spear and trying to push Lancer back for short moments of respite. She even used her long cape and hair to her advantage, distracting the opponent enough to avoid few nearly fatal thrusts.
For some time the fighting Servants looked like a noisy, sparkling whirlwind, moving from one roof to another. Sure that Lancer lowered his guard a bit, Rider decided to perform an offensive maneuver at last - she moved his spear up with the right sword, then instantly fell to her knee and targeted his lower body with the left one. The blade scratched Lancer's armor with a weird sound, but he was swift enough to avoid the deeper cut on time.
"Oh-ho... Such a nasty move! You have a noble air around you, yet can pick up a good fight." Lancer grinned again. "I like women like you."
"And I should say that I despise arrogant men like you, but that arrogance usually works in my favor." Despite the haughty, mocking tone, Rider did not smile. She knew that Lancer was too dangerous to let him out of her sight even for a second, so she remained alert.
"Speaking of arrogance... you really think you've outsmarted me? You haven't summoned your mount but keep luring me closer to water instead." He chuckled, when Rider frowned at him angrily. "So you're a pirate queen then?"
Her face changed drastically and eyes almost turned red from rising bloodlust. When she prepared her swords again, it was not in defensive anymore. She was bursting mana like crazy, which made her hair flowing behind her, like in a nonexistent wind.
"Careful with that foul tongue of yours, Lancer, if you don't want me to cut it off."
"Did I offend you? Hah!" He grasped tightly his weapon, expecting to have some real fun at last. He liked this kind of fighting much more than mental scuffles with Assassin or Caster. "If you want my tongue, come and get it."
"Honestly, I don't like the idea of fighting you." Shirou winced, staring at the strange bruises on his hand, like if he'd never seen them before.
"But you've been chosen," Rin said, still finding it hard to believe. "So you must have a wish... or at least be capable of obtaining the Grail."
Sakura shuddered at those words, barely noticeable, and Rin could only guess what was going on in her sister's head.
"M-maybe. Still, I do not want to be your enemy," Emiya explained with a indefinable expression.
"You don't have to, Senpai." Sakura finally looked up, with her fists clenched on her lap and a strange light in her eyes. The eye-shaped stigmata on her temple emitted a fascinating red glow. "I know it's not much, since I'm not a proper mage, but I can... I will always be your ally!"
"I'm getting really angry now!" Tohsaka crossed her arms, unable to stop herself from ranting anymore. "Do you think that summoning a Servant will solve all your problems? They're just about to begin! I thought that you're smarter than that, silly me... Ugh, I should just forcibly rip off your Command Spells and beat the stupid ideas out of you two!"
Rin could feel someone's flaming gaze on her back, but did not turn around. She was so annoyed that Caster's glares did not impress her anymore.
"You're going to get yourself killed," she growled angrily. And make me feel guilty for that! "It's hopeless."
"Tohsaka." Shirou tilted his head, understanding Rin's worries, hidden behind harsh words, and trying to calm her down with gentle voice. "How can you know, if you don't let us try?"
Rin looked away, trying hard not to blush for such stupid reason like Emiya being compassionate towards her. Like if she needed his pity anyway, what a fool!
"You have no relic," she spat in the last attempt to discourage them. "And no idea what to do."
Again, Sakura was the one to openly oppose her.
"The Grail is what actually summons a Servant, right? If I was able to make it without any preparation, it should be easy for Senpai with your assistance."
Rin remained silent for a while, having no heart to tell her sister that, from what she already knew, Caster had summoned himself without anyone's help. Besides, Sakura was a Tohsaka and had everything needed to become an outstanding mage, so any inconvenience could be beaten with raw power in her case. But Emiya was just… well… Emiya.
Still, a Servant, even weaker or trapped in material body, was a force to be reckoned with. Rin glanced at Arjuna, who seemed to be perfectly fine, even after using all those powerful spells against Berserker. She was still far from liking this guy, but at least he showed some care and willingness to protect Sakura.
Tohsaka sighed. Her thoughts went back to Shirou - Illyasviel's teasing was a proof that the boy had been already recognized as a Master by other participants. Delaying the summoning meant asking to be killed, especially with Lancer wandering around. And there was also Shinji, who wouldn't hesitate to fool and use Emiya... or kill him, if other methods of controlling his 'friend' failed.
As a mage and an heir of her family crest, Rin knew she shouldn't bother with Emiya's success in the war. Just the opposite - neutralizing him right here and now, when he was still powerless, sounded like the best course of action. It was Sakura who made everything complicated.
Rin could pretend that, since her sister unexpectedly turned out to be more like Tohsaka than Zenjou, it was about preserving the bloodline and such. But the truth was Rin had never seen Sakura so passionate about anything before. Who was she to just take it away?
"You're right, we shouldn't waste time," she decided eventually, feeling bad for not knowing any better solution and choosing lesser evil. "Let's draw that damned circle…"
"There's one here already, in the storage room," Archer said suddenly and all the gazes in the room focused on him. "What? I took a quick tour around to check the defenses."
Tohsaka frowned but said nothing. She noticed Caster's weird, all-knowing expression and was sure these two were hiding something... Or maybe it was just a childish rivalry of bowmen, who knows?
Well, if this continues, something will have to be done about it, she decided, sighing.
"Fine then. Let's do this."
Right after her materialization Arturia Pendragon grabbed thightly her sacred sword, ready to dash at unknown enemies. She could feel the presence of two Servants much closer than it should be allowed, in her opinion, which could mean that her new Master had been cornered and called for help. With her eyes narrowed and slightly bent knees, Saber turned the sword to slash both enemies at once...
But no one moved to face her, except a teenage boy, who stepped in suddenly, as if he was willing to take on her charge to protect everyone in the room.
"It's alright, they're friends," Shirou said, reaching out his hand to the fully armored swordswoman in a calming gesture. When Archer snorted behind his back, Emiya winced and added quietly: "Fine, maybe 'allies' is a better word to describe the situation."
Saber's confused gaze wandered for a while around the room, scanning one person after another, and stopped on a young dark-haired sorceress with pigtails, dressed in red. The girl stared at the freshly summoned Servant with less amount of admiration and more criticism than the others.
"So you're the last one, Saber," she said in a worried tone of voice, as if everyone's safety rested on her shoulders. Maybe that was the case? "I assume that you, too, cannot dematerialize at will?"
The swordswoman frowned at the word 'too' and looked curiously at the two other Servants in the room. The taller one, clad in red, immediately dispelled her doubts and changed into spirit form. The other rolled his eyes at such childish behavior. He nodded slightly to Saber and kept observing her in silence.
For some reason Arturia didn't like his alert, piercing gaze. It's because of Clairvoyance, she realized after a moment, and shivered, feeling almost naked under those cold eyes. Maybe he can see my sword already? He's dangerous, maybe not as a warrior, but…
"…about it, Saber?"
"Huh?" Arturia blinked, turning to the young man who had summoned her to this War. He had funny red hair and big, sincere eyes, now full of concern. Was he worried about her? Why? She suddenly felt ashamed for drifting away into thoughts so deeply he could feel ignored. "Forgive me, Master, I didn't hear your question. Can you repeat it?"
"It's fine, Saber. I understand you may be nervous and disoriented…"
"Nonsense," she cut him off, dispersing the sword and stood up proudly before them. "From the moment of my summoning I am fully capable of fighting or performing any task my Master orders."
"Shirou. Not 'Master', Shirou is enough." Emiya didn't look intimidated by her knightly behavior. "Come on, you don't need to pretend, we all know how people usually react to Tohsaka."
"Hey!" Rin jumped in place, hit hard by Shirou's verbal surprise attack. "What that supposed to mean?!"
Arturia thought a fight was about to break out, but an unexpected sound came from the corner of the room. A girl, who most likely was a sister of the sorceress in red, suddenly started giggling.
The atmosphere in the room immediately became more relaxed. Even Caster, although he tried hard to remain serious, let himself chuckle. His expression changed so drastically, Saber couldn't believe it was still the same person – those calculating eyes were smiling, but only to his Master, it seemed.
Arturia looked at them all and smiled too, pleased to be a part of such innocent group. They were good kids, she could easily tell, even only after few minutes in their company. Such a shame alliances were not meant to last long during Grail Wars and they will probably find themselves fighting against each other in the end. Not yet, though, for now it was fine to just discuss their future plans and…
"…rest a little," Shirou said, stroking his chin with embarrassment. "It's a big house, I'm sure we we will fit in somehow. The question is: how will I explain it to Fuji-nee...eh, Miss Fujimura... tomorrow?"
"You'll tell her the truth," Tohsaka suggested, shrugging. They all left the storage room and proceeded to the house. "Well, at least part of it."
"Which part exactly?"
"That there was an accident in my house, a gas leak or something, and I have nowhere to go. It happened when Sakura and our guests – exchange students from India and…"
"Britain," Saber answered, hoping it didn't tell too much about her true name.
"…and Britain were to stay in my place. A bad luck, indeed. And you were so kind to offer us all shelter."
"I'm impressed and terrified how smoothly you come up with all these lies, Master of Archer," Arjuna commented, which met with general approval and a fiery gaze from Tohsaka.
"Whatever, let's just hope Fuji-nee won't ask too many questions," Shirou said in a voice devoid of optimism.
"Just leave it to me, Emiya." Rin's devilish smile did not bode any good. "So... should I pick myself a room then?"
With these, seemingly innocent words, the real war began.
"Shinji. Where is the Zenjou girl you promised me?"
"Everything has been arranged, grandfather," Shinji answered in a quite panicked voice. He was kneeling before Zouken in his always gloomy room, trying to ignore sounds of worms, circling around him on the floor, like if he already reeked of corpse. "She would have been here already, if Rider wasn't such a failure..."
"Oh? So now that's your Servant's fault?" Zouken did not even let him finish. He had witnessed Rider's duel with Lancer through the eyes of his many familiars and could tell that she performed well against such a troublesome opponent. Returning to Master only slighty wounded could be considered a win in this situation. "Don't be ridiculous. How can you win the Grail, if you're not even capable of bringing home a helpless girl?"
Shinji swallowed the insult; he wasn't brave enough to bark back at his elder, only bowed deeper, pressing his forehead against the floor. Zouken sighed at such disappointing view.
"My patience regarding this matter is at its limits," he warned. "Or maybe you want me to go and get everything done by myself?"
The youngest Matou mage winced at this threat. It was something he couldn't accept. Sakura was his future plaything, not Zouken's, he would never abandon his plans so easily.
"No, grandfather. I will take care of it immediately."
"My, that was quite a scuffle, right, Master?" Arjuna entered Sakura's usual room in the Emiya residence, carrying a set of fresh blankets and futons.
Saber was first to declare that she won't leave her Master's side no matter what, not in a house full of other Servants. Despite their temporal alliance, she invoked the rule of limited trust, although Shirou expected she was just extremely territorial (why did she remind him of a lion in such aggressive state?).
When Emiya tried to make Saber reconsider, by pointing out that he might feel uncomfortable with her so close, he was quickly dismissed. Surprisingly, Rin took Arturia's side, saying that 'Servants are familiars, so there is truly no need to freak out over their gender'.
Caster approved of this, having no intention to leave his Master alone either... and then Rin was first to scold him, condemning such behavior as 'highly inappropriate'. When Arjuna tried to defend himself against this open injustice, he was yelled at even more by literally everyone. Well, except Archer, who just dematerialized with a heavy sigh.
Shirou wanted to join him in convenient invisibility and even considered spending the night in the storage room. Their silly conflict had been resolved eventually by placing all Servants in adjoining guest rooms, as close to their respective Masters as possible... although Emiya wasn't sure that they wouldn't just sit out the rest of the night under their Masters' doors, like guard dogs.
Sakura followed behind Caster, barely able to move her feet. She was observing him in silence for a long moment, while he was casually bustling about, helping with the sheets like a housemaid.
Comparing to the outstanding dignity of the freshly summoned Saber or sarcastic and rebellious attitude of Archer, Sakura found her own Servant too humble for a great hero he claimed to be. So blankly polite, submissive even... Was he hiding something or just wanted to get the Grail so badly?
The latter would be rather problematic for Sakura. When Shirou officially joined the war, the girl decided to become useful, so she could support him with all her might. Would Caster still be so eager to obey her orders, knowing that he's just a mere helper and his wish won't be granted?
Sakura needed to find out the truth, as soon as possible. She tensed involuntarily, preparing for the worst. Command Spells on her temple vibrated and burned. Would using three of them at once be enough to destroy Arjuna, if he tried to kill his unworthy Master?
"What is your wish for the Grail?" - she asked quietly, staring at his back.
"I don't have one," Caster replied, pleased that she decided to talk with him seriously at last.
The last thing he expected to hear in response was an angry outburst, colored with frustration and despair. He suspected that some unresolved worries must have been eating Sakura from the inside and exhaustion increased their influence on her weary mind. Or there was something more, a kind of darkness Arjuna knew just too well?
"Don't lie to me!"
He turned around, faster than a flash of light, and touched the red symbol on Sakura's head.
"Careful," he said gently; the girl could feel a slight pulsation of magic where his gloved hand brushed her skin. "These spells are very precious, you don't want to waste them on meaningless orders, Master."
"Meaningless?" She swallowed painfully and pushed his hand away. Why was suddenly so hot in here?
"Yes. Because I'm not lying." He slightly tilted his head. "Tell me, Master, are you always fully aware of your deepest desires? Are you always sure what you truly want?"
The shadowy aura around the girl vanished instantly. A fair question, indeed. Sakura did not even have to think it over.
"No."
"I'm the same. There may be something, but I haven't yet realized what exactly. The main reason I'm here is because you needed help." Surrounded by aggressive men, dragged by your hair... like a certain someone from my past. "You called and I answered, serving you it's my privilege as a Heroic Spirit and you owe me nothing in return."
The girl stared. Arjuna refrained from sighing and decided to calmy withstand that fiery gaze. What kind of life she must have had to become so suspicious of simple acts of kindness?
"So you do not desire the Grail?"
"No, Master," he reassured in a calm, yet somehow tired, voice. "I do not. Not when I'm summoned in my current form. My true nature is that of a follower."
Sakura must have accepted his declaration, because the tension in her movements vanished completely.
"Master this, Master that." She sighed, wearing one of those expressions that made her look exactly like her sister. "I have a name."
"A beautiful one, yes. Why pointing it out now, Master?"
He was insufferable! Sakura didn't even know if she felt angry or flattered.
"Archer calls Rin by her name. And Senpai asked Saber to do the same. I don't want to be the only one called 'Master', it's weird."
As expected, he couldn't simply agree but decided to be difficult instead.
"May I ask why do you call Shirou Emiya 'Senpai'?"
"I…" Sakura blushed; her voice burst with a strange mix of strong emotions, when she answered: "It's out of respect!"
"And yet you forbid me calling you 'Master' out of respect?" He sighed. "So be it. Your wish is my command, Sakura."
He bowed slightly, tasting the last word for a while, filling it with emotion and additional meaning. Sakura tried hard to not shiver at the sound of his voice, so smooth and intoxicating. She had enough of literally everything for today.
Yet she returned to the door, alarmed by the commotion on the other side of the corridor.
"What do you mean by 'staying outside'?!" Rin's yelling was hard to ignore, especially in the middle of the night. The entire household must have heard her complaints already. "I don't mind Saber, she looks and behaves knightly enough, but how can you leave me here with Caster?!"
"Rest easy, Rin." It was Archer's voice, composed but mocking, as usual. "He's not in the condition to do anything right now."
Sakura withdrew from the door and turned to her Servant; her gaze held a silent question: 'Are you?'.
But her coldness vanished instantly, when she saw Arjuna, sitting on the edge of the chair, with his head tilted back and slightly to the side, leaning on the wall. He must have fallen asleep right where he stood, despite wild noises made by Tohsaka.
Was it really so unexpected? Since the moment of his summoning he was almost constantly fighting, protecting her - and later everyone - relying solely on his own resources. All those spells must have cost tons of energy and she couldn't help him replenish it, at least not yet.
Then why didn't he tell me anything?
Deep inside Sakura knew the answer. It seemed they were more alike than she would like to admit.
"Stubborn fool," she whispered, covering him with a blanket. "How am I suppose to rest with you here?"
But she was too tired to feel embarrassed anymore and fell asleep as soon as her head touched the pillow.
Thank You for comments and new ideas, do not hesitate to talk to me (I cannot fix anything, if I don't know what You don't like, just saying)!
I asked in a poll about changing the rating of this story to M and including some adult themes - about 80% of voters decided it's a good idea. I would consider it, because, at least in some routes, it would be more than justified.
This one is going slower and seems more focused on relationships between characters than my other stories... I'm not sure it's a good thing, but it's nice to try out something new from time to time, isn't it?
Thank You for reading and hope to see You soon!