Note: I will be prioritizing the fluff over the continuity, so if something doesn't make sense in the context of the Nasuverse, then that is most likely intentional. Thank you and please enjoy
Chapter 1: Wish
"So this is it, huh?" Atalanta was beaten and bloody, much like the Saber before her. The man's tanned skin was riddled with cuts and his white hair was matted with blood. Even though he was an inch away from death, his smirk never left his face. They were in a world of Unlimited Blades. Large gears turned overhead in the brown, murky sky and the smell of iron permeated the Archer's nose. It had taken a combined effort of her, Rider, and Caster to get this far and Atalanta was not willing to let their sacrifice be in vain.
"It was an honor to fight an opponent of thy caliber," Atalanta raised Tauropholos, knocking an arrow and muttering a prayer. "Unfortunately, I have no intentions of losing."
"I already got what I came for," Saber shrugged. Atalanta could remember rushing through the streets desperately. She went as fast as she could, but it was too late. Saber was standing over the body of Lancer's master with a cold expression. He didn't even acknowledge Atalanta. He just walked away, leaving the body there.
"Dost thou give?" Atalanta asked. Her arrow started to glow green as power swelled around her. Swords appeared behind the red-cloaked Saber as he smirked.
"Never."
"A shame," Atalanta fired her arrow and shouted. "Phoebus Catastrophe!"
"Heh," Saber coughed out blood. Several swords stuck out of Atalanta, but an arrow made it through the Saber's heart. It was only through his personal Independant Action that he was still alive. "I guess I lost this one."
"Thou fought with honor," Atalanta hobbled over to the man and looked down on him. "Before thou perieshes, can thee tell thy name?"
"I…" The man coughed, smiling up at Atalanta. "I'm just a Nameless Archer."
Saber then faded away into green particles, leaving Atalanta alone. Her master had died in the beginning of the battle, and it was only minutes before her Independent Action would run out. As the swords disappeared, and the fake world collapsed around her, Atalanta fell to the ground.
As her vision started to fade, she saw a golden light shine before her.
The grail… Atalanta thought weakly. She opened her mouth, and through sheer determination, managed to croak out a few words.
"Wish… safety… of children," Atalanta rasped at the last bits of prana left her, and she vanished from the world.
Atalanta woke up in a familiar room. It was entirely made of wood with a futon and a dresser. It was nothing special, but it meant something to Atalanta. This is where she and her master stayed when they lived with Lancer's master.
"Ah, you're finally awake," Atalanta shot up when she heard a voice. She reached for Tauropholos, but it wasn't there. The door opened to reveal an old man dressed in a sharp suit. He held a cane in his hand and his eyes were piercing red.
"Who art thou?! Where hast thou taken me?!" Atalanta demanded as she crouched down, preparing to claw the man's face off at a moment's notice.
"My name is Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg. It's a pleasure to meet you," The man took a couple steps forward and softly closed the door behind him. "You see, when you made your wish, the Grail decided to use you as the catalyst to carry out your wish. Since I had a hand in creating the Grail, I feel obligated to help you get started."
"The Grail…?" Atalanta's eyes widened. The last parts of the war were a bit fuzzy in her head. She knew she won, but she couldn't recall specifics. "Explain thyself."
"Well, you wished for the safety of children," Zelretch explained with a sigh. "You are now responsible for the safety of children."
"I… I see," Atalanta's shoulders slumped. She had no problems with taking care of children, but she was only one person. She could only do so much.
"Don't look so down," A small smile formed on Zelretch's aged features. "With some help from the grail, I managed to set up this place to help you care for children throughout the multiverse."
"Multiverse?" Atalanta tilted her head. Her ears twitched at the unfamiliar word.
"As the wielder of the Second Magic, I have seen a lot," Zelretch walked over to a window and stared out of it. "I also have a fair amount of authority in certain dimensions. When the Grail started to execute your wish, you would have been sent across time and space, saving children for the rest of eternity. Never resting. Always saving. You would be no better than one of Alaya's dogs."
Atalanta's face paled. As much as she wanted the salvation of all children, she knew her limits. Such a burden would break her.
"I decided to interject," Zelretch continued while turning to look at Atalanta. "While you may not be able to save every child, you will be able to save the children that need you the most."
"Many thanks," Atalanta dipped her head. She was still irritated that the wish didn't go her way, but she didn't mind. At least she could avoid her original fate.
"It's my mess, so I might as well clean it up," Zelretch shook his head. "Now, get up. Let me show you how this place works."
"The kitchen will always be stocked," Zelretch explained as they walked into the kitchen. "Every morning, the fridge should be completely stocked."
He gestured to a whiteboard that was labeled "Food Orders" that was right next to the refrigerator. "The kids can write down what they want and it will appear in the fridge the next morning."
"That's… convenient," Atalanta thought about how such a thing could work, but quickly abandoned the notion. As long as it worked, she was happy. She then followed Zelretch to the living room where a large TV was mounted to the wall.
"We only have one television for now, but as more children find their way here, I'm sure the Grail will accommodate your needs," Zelretch looked at the desk, where a remote and a book lay. "There's an instruction manual over there for you."
"My thanks," Atalanta nodded and Zelretch led her to a locked door. When Zelretch unlocked the door, he handed the key to Atalanta.
"The key is just a formality," Zelretch said as he opened the door to reveal a room with a large computer with multiple monitors. "The lock reacts to your Saint Graph, so only you can enter it."
"I see," Atalanta said as she walked in.
"Now we get to the more complicated part of your job," Zelretch waved his hand, and the computer blazed to life. "Just release some prana into the air and the computer will turn on.
He gestured for Atalanta to sit in the solitary chair, which she did. She looked at the monitor in front of her, which had a couple of icons on it. One was a map with the word "locate" below it, and a picture of the Holy Grail with the word "summon" beneath it.
"Alright, I'll help you locate and bring in your first child, but after that, you're on your own," Zelretch said as he grabbed the mouse. "I'm sure the grail has provided you instructions on using a computer?"
Just as Atalanta was about to speak, a wave of information flowed into her mind. She nodded mutely.
"Good, let's begin," Zelretch clicked the "locate" button and a program appeared, showing a list of names. "Now… which one should we do first?"
The cursor hovered a name. A Matou Sakura. "Ah, she'll be perfect for you!"
Rider's master… Atalanta thought, remembering the meek, yet kind girl. She deserved better.
"Alright, let's see," Zelretch clicked the name twice and the screen shifted. "As you can see, clicking a name will show a—"
"Gods above! What are they doing to her?!" Atalanta cried. She immediately looked away, lest her heart be shattered into even smaller pieces.
"This is why you're here," Zelretch reminded her, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Now, let me show you how to rescue her."
Atalanta forced herself to look at the monitor again. At the bottom right of the screen, there was a small picture of a grail. Zelretch clicked it and the secret to the right of the center screen. It showed the faces of several servants. A few of them Atalanta recognized.
"Now, I don't know how well you know some of these servants, but there's always this button," Zelretch moved the cursor to a 'recommended' button. He clicked it twice and then leaned back. "Now watch the show."
Sakura had given up. She felt the worms wriggle around her body, but she didn't move. Her eyes were dead and glazed, barely recognizing the figure of her grandfather looking down at her with a smile.
"I see the training has been going well," Zouken chuckled to himself. "What do you think, Sakura?"
The young girl didn't respond, not even registering his existence. The man cackled at her silence. His smile widened as he continued to stare at her.
As Sakura blinked, a bright flash of light filled Sakura's vision. The change in the painful monotony motivated Sakura to blink away the glaze in her eye. Launching towards Zouken was a beautiful woman with long, pink hair and a blindfold.
"A servant?!" Zouken hissed as the woman landed in front of him.
"My master has asked me to retrieve this child," The woman removed her blindfold. "Breaker Gorgon."
"No!" Sakura blinked again as Zouken started to freeze. His body slowly turned into stone. The worms around Sakura then started to harden and stop moving. They slowly started to crumble to dust. Sakura coughed a few times, particles of dust escaping her mouth.
The woman put her blindfold back on and turned to Sakura. She hopped down into the pit and smiled softly at Sakura. "Don't worry, now. You're safe."
"Safe…?" Sakura could barely comprehend the word. She was safe? Free?
"I'm here to take you somewhere far away from here. Where you will be loved and cared for," The woman knelt down. "Do you want to come with me? You don't have to."
"I…" Sakura paused. The woman just saved her from Zouken's torture. She saved her life. "I'll give it a try…"
"Thank you," The woman gingerly scooped Sakura up and vanished with a flash of light.
"Now, let's go greet them," Zelretch stood up and walked out of the room. Atalanta looked at the screen, processing what just happened for a second. Rider just appeared out of nowhere and saved the child. Is this the kind of power she would have at her fingertips?
She shook her head and turned to follow Zelretch. Right now, she had more important things to worry about. Standing inside the entrance was Rider carrying young Sakura in her arms.
"I have arrived, Master," Rider turned to Atalanta and nodded.
"My thanks, Rider," Atalanta forced a smile as she walked up and looked at Sakura.
"Who are you?" Sakura asked before coughing again, more particles of dust flying out of her mouth.
"My name is Atalanta," The woman introduced herself, her smile becoming more genuine as her maternal instincts kicked in, "and I will be your new caretaker."
Thank you for reading! If you have any requests for children, please leave them in the reviews. I'm starting with just kids from the Nasuverse, but I might eventually branch out to other fandoms. Also, feel free to join my discord! The link is /CpVs7R8KXz, but feel free to message me if it doesn't work. Thank you
