A/N: This was the second chapter written chronologically. The title is an obvious joke and gag for LOTR.

I do not own Fate or Halo; they belong to their respective owners. I also don't own LOTR, but I'm just putting that because of the title.

Office of Naval Intelligence

Confidential

Agent [REDACTED] has been tasked with retrieving Alia Morgan, Rikuto Ryuudou, and Asami K. Ryuudou. Thankfully, it seems that they are scheduled to be at home with their parents, and Agent [REDACTED] has been tasked with infiltrating the house, posing as a chaperone.

Artoria was ecstatic today. Everything had conspired to allow the three of them to stay home while their parents went for a night out. It was only a matter of hours before they left, and then Artoria and Shirou could talk more about their connection with Avalon and Excalibur. She wanted to talk about their future together and, admittedly, eat more food than Shirou would be able to cook. Naturally, such discussions would not be wise to be conducted around the parents, given that they would find it odd that their children were discussing like adults or possibly wielding swords. That would not do. Shirou and Artoria were preoccupied with playing chess against one another.. Illya had just hijacked the video game console and began playing video games. Artoria supposed that Illya had changed very little between worlds, and she was glad they were all fundamentally the same. Even if they had limited control over their magic due to their age, perhaps something else characteristic of the current era.

"Check, Shirou," Artoria stated as a matter of fact. The boy in question scowled. It seemed they were trying their best at this game, even though they were terrible at it. After some time, Shirou moved his King away from Artoria's Queen. After a few moves, Shirou managed to take one of Artoria's rooks, much to the chagrin of Artoria, who muttered something about not losing another castle. The battle unfolding upon their board was still largely inconclusive when Artoria turned around and spotted that there was a new woman inside the house. Someone whom her parents were talking with.

"Something wrong?" Shirou asked. Artoria had something like a sixth sense when talking to people. Illya managed to prune herself from her video game console.

The three quickly agreed to listen into the conversation and covertly spy upon the new arrival within the house. Artoria could get the gist about her name, sounding like "Susana Solomon." Other than that, Artoria began observing the woman's face from behind the wall, observing when she was confident the adults weren't looking in that direction.

"Onii-chan, Artoria-san, it sounds like a babysitter." Illya shrugged; Artoria agreed that this was a babysitter. But something else about her threw her off as if something in the universe was warning her about something. But alas, her instincts had been wrong plenty of times before, and Artoria seemed convinced that she was just being overly paranoid.

Shirou joined the discussion: "I think we should give her a chance, besides. It's only for one night; I'm sure we'll make her life hell if she is truly terrible. Okay?" Shirou was undoubtedly on the kinder side regarding the overall group, but he was right. Going off instinct was not always the best way to do things. After all, Artoria's first instinct was to go fight Rin and her servant, when at the end of the day, Shirou and Rin ended up allied together anyways. This was contrasted with her memories of hearing Medea betraying her original master.

They had terrible planning as the adults caught the three red-handed as they were spying on the adults. Thankfully they seemed relatively forgiving when it came to this, thinking it was a silly phase the children were going through. Artoria's father spoke first: "Look who we have here." He began to chuckle while the other adults joined in. Artoria turned around and saw similar annoyance levels in the faces of Shirou and Illya. After some time, the mysterious woman knelt to speak eye to eye with Artoria.

"Hi Alia, your parents have told me all about you," she then turned to Shirou and Illya, "Same with you two, Rikuto and Asami. I'm sure that we'll get along nicely tonight. I'm Susana, and I'll be your babysitter today." Susana introduced herself in a relatively friendly tone, but Artoria didn't trust such a woman. Susana then poked at Artoria's ahoge and didn't say anything, but it elicited a comedic reaction from the other adults in the room. Artoria was internally seething, and she figured that Shirou and Illya were. She hoped this Susana figure would keep her distance throughout the night.

Dinner had gone without a hunch, and the babysitter provided some relatively basic meals for them, but strangely the woman was comfortable just not observing the children in the play area. Particularly strange for a babysitter, whose whole profession was watching over them.

It was then that Susana came into the room and said a few things, "I need to go outside and grab something from my car, sit tight. I'll be back in a few minutes," the woman smiled with her almost sickly sweet tone of voice something that told Artoria that she was only pretending to care. Artoria was curious why that woman, in particular, drove such a large car. "Also, remember that bedtime is at 19:00, so watch that clock over there!" the woman then walked out of the house and disappeared from Artoria's point of view.

Artoria's head then turned over to Illya and Shirou, both of whom were glued to the game console. Illya was taking it much more seriously than Shirou, but the three were happy that they were experiencing a relatively normal childhood compared to their past lives. It seemed that magic was no longer as prominent as it once was, and Artoria did not doubt that magi still existed, but it was likely that the Magus Association was spread too thin to enforce their ability to keep themselves secret. So she doubted they would go after them if they genuinely needed to use their magecraft.

Shirou was staring at the clock as if he were enamored with it. Shirou was asked what was wrong by Illya, but the person in question simply shrugged, "You know, it's been a bit of time since that Susana lady left." Artoria then peered at the clock and wondered why the babysitter hadn't returned. It was then that Artoria felt an overwhelming wave of tiredness encapsulate her; it wasn't even that late… Her eyelids began to flutter, and her speech slowed. She caught in the corner of her eye that Shirou and Illya were also collapsing out of exhaustion. Artoria finally fell asleep after a few minutes of resistance. Her body collapsed on a bean bag situated just below herself.

Artoria was shaken awake. She had a lovely dream about her date with Shirou during the Holy Grail War, so she was minorly miffed when it was interrupted. Then she opened her eyes and saw that Shirou was trying to wake her up. She was still perplexed about what was going on, and then she could feel that they were inside a vehicle, that the white ceiling of the room they had been in prior had been replaced by the metallic roof of the van.

The two were paralyzed with disbelief. Artoria could observe beads of sweat on Shirou's head. She quickly craned her neck upward and sought to see what Shirou and Illya were staring at. Copies, exact copies of themselves. For a minute, Artoria believed she was staring at a mirror, or perhaps she was still dreaming. She curiously eyed her copy after glancing at Shirou's and Illya's copies. She stared at those viridescent eyes, and this copy simply stared back. Both were confused and trying to understand what the other was. Those eyes, it was almost as if she was staring at a version of herself who had lived a radically different life. It appeared that this version of her never carried the burden of her memories as King.

It was then that "Susana" returned to retrieve the copies from the van. Artoria watched helplessly as the children took their place in the playroom, positioned in the same areas that they were prior. Artoria still was wondering what was happening, why they had been copied, and why their doppelgangers had replaced them. Such questions continued to burn on her inside as the van's door was closed and "Susana" stayed behind. Artoria watched her turn around and patiently return to the house as if nothing had gone wrong. Artoria could feel as the van slowly but steadily wheeled itself away from the scene, leaving the clones to an unknown fate.

Artoria considered busting out of the van with Excalibur, but there was so little space that such exertion would likely kill everyone inside the truck. She could also tell that Shirou seemed to be reminded that his tiny body was too weak to be able to credibly control his magical circuits effectively. He had the skill, but the body simply could not provide for him at the moment. As much as Artoria hated this fact, she was powerless.

Artoria felt they were leaving the wet blue ball they had called home. Something extraordinary was happening, probably Merlin's fault. She peered down at her tank top and saw that it read 015, Shirou's was 004, and Illya's was 094. Artoria looked to the planet Reach. It was unmistakable. One of Earth's most significant colonies and a city on a hill...

Artoria felt tears, but she said nothing. She hoped Shirou and herself could live a destiny away from the bloodshed. Fate had other plans for them. At least she was still with Shirou and Illya; she didn't know what she would have done if she had been at her lonesome.

"Why us?" Illya finally broke the silence. It seemed to be a question that permeated every one of their minds. It appeared that Shirou hesitated to answer such a burgeoning question; all of them were somewhat overwhelmed with anxiety. Their magic seemed different in the 26th century, less potent than it had been from the post. Artoria seemed hesitant as to try to summon Excalibur. It would expose all of them as Magi, and she had no idea if their kidnappers had any knowledge whatsoever of the Magi.

Shirou finally answered Illya's question, as if the divines had handed him such answers to their burning questions, "We are not the only ones." Shirou pointed to another small ship heading in the same direction as them as they were steadily entering the planet's atmosphere. "The question is, do the others also have our unique abilities?" He finished with a sigh. Artoria could tell from his eye that he was incredibly inclined to try to skewer their captors and make an escape. One problem, none of them knew how to pilot a jet in their previous lives, much less a dropship in the 26th century. They were effectively powerless in the current arrangement.

Artoria could almost feel as the dropship descended into the clouds and finally into the sprawling landscape of Reach. Even if the wind was not blowing in her face, her senses told her they were descending downward toward somewhere in Reach. Just like when I took Caliburn out of that rock… getting herself into something she didn't realize she would never emerge from. She still remembered that she used to be a relatively normal girl (excluding Merlin and the magical core), but alas, one that harbored her wishes, only to be swept away by the stern woman Artoria became when she took up her sword to defend Britannia. Would she also take up her sword to protect Shirou… and Illya? She tightened her fist, Excalibur materializing in her hand, beckoning her to strike the side of the Pelican and bring this ship down.

Shirou gently placed his hand on Artoria's shoulder and brought her to face him, with his other hand massaging Artoria to let go of Excalibur, "Artoria-san, please." She began gazing into those eyes, eyes that shown with hope. Eyes that had promised reunion despite all difficulties laid by fate. Yet, she also saw that brutal realism that had forced him to bring her life to an end in that accursed world. Most of all, she saw determination and perseverance. Feeling much more at ease, Artoria allowed Excalibur to quickly dissolve and began to embrace Shirou. Artoria swallowed, she certainly felt nervous, but such nervousness melted away as she continued to be in the embrace of Shirou.

After some time, Artoria nuzzled herself in the crook of Shirou's neck before turning around to see Illya running to join in the loving embrace. After some time, Artoria could feel her knees buckle as they began to land upon the surface of Reach, and their handlers began to forcefully escort them to wherever they would be going. Artoria peered up at her handler. It was Susana. Gone was the facade of caring and doting Susana, replaced by one who would follow her orders to the letter. Such people weren't very different from her loyal Knights of the Round Table when push came to shove.

Admittedly, she began to count her paces as the guards forcefully escorted Illya, Shirou, and herself into the dark base that gave her a feeling that it was sapping away at her sense of self. Minutes later, she found herself with dozens of other children, all facing the same situation… Her eyes turned to Illya, who squinted at some other children and mutely mouthed, "NOT MAGI." Were they the only Magi present in this hall? On the one hand, she was relieved that they weren't after their magical cores. But that also opened up questions about what their purpose was, then.

Then, the double doors in front of her slid open to reveal an auditorium; before she knew it, her handler was escorting her inside. She looked about herself, observing a similar case with all the other children. Artoria guessed that there were around sixty children around her, maybe more. Her eyes then zeroed on the lady in the labcoat in the middle of the auditorium. She gave a quizzical look at the lady before taking a seat.

The woman finally began to speak, seeming to have to force the words through her windpipe, "As per Naval Code 45812, you are hereby conscripted into the UNSC Special Project, codenamed SPARTAN-II." Words that sounded ominous to Artoria, recognizing that it was indeed that state that had brought about their collective misery. She refocused on the lady in question. While any average person would never have picked up such signs, Artoria had been a King and had served in a Holy Grail War. This woman's mannerisms screamed her discomfort with such an ordeal.

While Artoria focused on the mysterious and uncomfortable doctor, she noticed in her eye that a few children tried to leave in confusion before being forcefully pushed back down to their seats by their handlers. Artoria observed the doctor take a careful step forward to regain confidence in herself; "You have been called upon to serve," Artoria mentally screeched. Such a measure was still barbaric to perform on children, "You will be trained . . . and you will become the best we can make of you. You will be the protectors of Earth and all her colonies." Against what? Such a statement failed to elucidate what they intended to be used for. Artoria racked her mind for why the government of all organizations was conscripting such children in secret. Perhaps she had been somewhat authoritarian by modern standards; an absolute monarch was an autocracy. Camelot was not a democracy… Yet the United Earth Government claimed to be one in all her glory.

"This place will become your home," the woman continued, attempting to assuage their fears, such an attempt becoming quite evident to Artoria. While the others could not see, it seemed to her that the woman was deeply struggling with how to put these words with enormous implications for the children. After pausing briefly, the woman lumbered, "Your fellow trainees will be your family now." She immediately began to think about her parents in this life: Kora and Ben Morgan. Parents who cared for her more than her own when she was Artoria "Arthur" Pendragon, "son" of Uther. Tending to her needs, ensuring that she grew up with a proper childhood. She would never see them again, replaced by clones likely doomed to die early if the homunculi were anything to go off of. Artoria's fist tightened, with very few options of venting her anger without attracting too much attention. The training will be difficult. There will be a great hardship on the road ahead, but I know you will all make it." She doubted nearly every word; the woman spoke as if she were possessed by a Morgana that had felt a degree of remorse. At least the woman was being honest that the training was going to be difficult; perhaps she had a tiny bit of honor after all, inconsequential and microscopic as it were to be.

The woman finally concluded by stating, no commanding to them, "Rest now; We begin tomorrow." The woman then reoriented toward a man more experienced in the martial realm, as if she was leaning upon him to do things she didn't have the heart to do. Such was confirmed to Artoria when she then uttered to the soldier, "Have the children…" seeming to catch herself referring to the children as they were. Before quickly amending the statement, "... the trainees escorted them to their barracks. Feed them and put them to bed."

The man simply nodded, appearing to have the emotional capacity of a rock, and affirmed the woman's orders, "Yes, ma'am," before he turned to the children and their handlers, cold and commanding eyes meeting her own for a fraction of a second. After surveying the group for less than a few seconds, he finally issued the orders to the children and their handlers, "Fall out!" Artoria thought about the man. He wasn't very different from her soldiers and some of her knights. Men who would go to the ends of the Earth to fulfill their duty, alas, even Bedivere had done his duty eventually. He had thrown Excalibur because of his loyalty to her, not the ideal she wanted.

Artoria was jerked from her train of thought by her kidnapper, that masqueraded as a chaperone. Artoria was compelled to stand up and march out of the auditorium, presumably to head off to the dining hall and then into the sleeping quarters.

After eating their food, Artoria gave Shirou and Illya a nod that they would converse tomorrow. Artoria thought about the food. It was abysmal when compared to Shirou's culinary work. She just hoped that Shirou could make better food for the sake of everyone here. Her mind slowly drifted back to her Scabbard, Shirou. As she fell into the embrace of the cot she laid upon, her mind wandered to a dream about a boy, a girl, and an endless meadow beneath them and beyond them.