I do not own Fate stay night nor have I seen the Heaven's feel movies. It is based on the manga and hopefully it is accurate and badass as the movies.
Arturia woke up some hours later. By then the fire had been stopped though the remnants of it could still be felt. Though the prana recovery was still going very slowly but hopefully she would recover it in time. Now that she is clear headed and rested, she would now need to know just what in the name of Lady Vivian is going on? How is she still alive and just where was she?
Then some strange noises could be heard. Just like that of when Iri had driven the automobile but bigger, way bigger. Just what was it? That answer soon came when large green trucks and... was that a helicopter?.. which had emblems of JSDF was written came along the destroyed and barten roads. There were big white trucks as well as some kind of white and red vehicle which blared a large, screeching and unpleasant sound and had written what looked like in English AMBULANCE.
Arturia thanked the Grail system which had the decency to at least input some modern knowledge inside her head. Soon some long red tucks had arrived which then controlled by some people wearing black and yellow as well as wearing masks, doused the remaining flames from the hose at the top of the truck.
Is that so called fire truck?
It seemed to Arturia that some of her memories still remained spotty and could not be well remembered. She pondered if the cause was the sensation of almost splitting in half when she blasted the Holy Grail with the might of Excalibur... and then she went into depression with what looked like black clouds hanging over her head.
Some workers got out from the transportation. They seemed to look around accessing something. She decided to leave and when she stepped back she seemed to have stepped on a burned stick which seemed to make a noise.
- CRACK -
Those armored(?) people as well as those wearing white clothes with red cross on them seemed to have noticed her before they scrambled to her. She was shocked before keeping her two arms crossed in front of her and hiding her face behind it as if to protect her head against any possible attack.
Health worker's POV
It was just a nice evening during the break. The pay was decent when you are a volunteer health worker. I was chatting with my coworkers who were from Kyoto and Fuyuki city in the office of the head worker. Fuyuki City which was just few tens of miles away was one of the bigger city with what looked like one of the largest hub of incidents.
Really, first there were cases of gas leak which destroyed some buildings, then we got serial killer on the loose, some famous fancy hotels blowing up due to another case of gas leak or something and if that wasn't enough there are kidnappers which had kidnapped many childrens. The whereabouts of those children are still unknown though the biggest local yakuza group, Fujimura group, is still looking into it.
Though we were emergency response kind of workers. You know ' in the state of emergency we are called.' kind of thing. I really hoped they would call us instead of some yakuza group. Emergency situation don't happen enough considering we are filled with veterans from the army as well. Not that I say that emergency situations to occur frequently, just that some actions to, you know, break the monotony of life.
'There I go monologuing again. Though what is going on there. It is just like some secret organizations is covering up just like in the movies.' (Author note: Oh how right you are.)
A phone call rang which was strange considering it was the emergency line which was called. Our head health worker, Kaito-san immediately picked it up before shoo-ing us off of his office. After a while he came out.
"Sir, what is the case now?" A fellow senior health worker like me, Shimura-san, spoke up.
Kaito-san looked dark and grim. Oh this is not going to be good. Then he went to the loudspeaker and declared, "EVERYONE WE NEED TO RUSH TO FUYUKI CITY ASAP. BRING ALL THE MEDICAL KITS AS WELL AS SUPPLIES TO THE TRUCK. I REPEAT, BRING ALL THE KITS AND SUPPLIES TO THE TRUCKS. IT SEEMS A SECTION OF FUYUKI CITY IS BURNING LIKE HELL ON EARTH AND THE HOSPITALS DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH TO TREAT ALL OF THEM. THE NATIONAL DEFENCE IS ALREADY RUSHING ALONG WITH MANY FIRE TRUCKS. SO GET MOVING, THERE ARE PEOPLE'S LIVES ON THE LINE. "
WHAT THE HELL WAS GOING ON THERE??
We all rushed towards the trucks along with many tents, waters and health kits. Some of the ambulance were already rolling on the street blaring the emergency noise. We could see some of the helicopters in the air rushing towards the same direction. I sat on the truck with the Kaito san and other workers. Only units from 1 to 15 had been mobilized haphazardly. It looked like we were all fidgeting, even the guys from the radio were nervous and then I mustered up some courage to ask something.
"Sir, What is going on?"
"...Might as well broadcast to others as well *radio on* Listen up everyone, it's about the emergency call, not much could be gathered from the call but apparently there was a huge fire still burning a section of Fuyuki city. What made it worse was that the biggest fire station of the city was caught in it before they could do anything. No response from them so worst case scenario.
Those outside the radius of fire are sporting severe case of 2nd degree burn. I shudder to imagine what happened to those near the origin...That is why we need to hurry and because many hospitals were also caught in the fire while the remaining ones can't handle the influx of hundreds of patients.
So I will say we divide into two forces. One big and one small. From 1 to 5 units will be on me. We are to go along with the defense force and fire fighters to rescue people and on-site treatment. 6 to 15 unit will further divide into two units and deploy in the nearest hospital.
Is everybody clear?! *yes sir*aye aye sir*you got it boss*... Good, follow through the instructions. ETA 45 minutes. Over and out *radio off*"
Hell on Earth
Well no wonder the analogy fits. It looked like shit hit the biggest fan. The place was totally scorched black. Buildings were crumbling and no signs of vegetation at all. The fire fighter were still ongoing with dousing the flames at the center.
I could see charred corpses inside some houses. Some looked like they were living with their family at that moment before the incident happened and they couldn't even get out of the house before dying. This was only at the between region of outer and the origin region. Which made almost all of us lose hope of finding anyone alive near the origin of the fire.
Unit 4 and 5 decided to search in this area. The remaining of us decided to search in the outer perimeter. Our unit decided to search the neighborhood which had the highest possible chance of someone still alive. Along with the army and the fire trucks we reached the destination and came out of the vehicle to search the place.
Some of the places still seemed to be burning before the fire fighters tried to douse the flames. We all couldn't hide our grimace from our faces. There were some untouched vegetation which could mean the affection on thus area might not be as bad as it looked. I looked at our leader who started to speak.
"We could star-
- CRACK -
-huh?"
We all turned to look at the source of the sound when we saw a small foreign girl(?) who was wearing rag like clothes with soot on her whole body. Honestly she looked like 10-12 years old blond haired girl. She seemed to be leaning on her left leg. Due to the sudden appearance of someone alive we were all dumbstruck until the unknown girl started fidgeting. We then refocused and ran towards her. I could hear the leader shouting to prepare health kits.
She seemed to be very scared and held her arms in front of her face as if to protect herself. When we caught her gently, to not to aggravate her injuries she started to thrash and boy was this little girl strong! She almost got rid of 3 grown men!! Fortunately we were able to placate her by giving her a orange flavored lollipop which was my reserve food...
Arturia was confused. It seemed that she had misinterpreted her savior's motive. When they had caught her gently she started to thrash to release herself from their grasp. She stopped when something sweet was suddenly thrust inside her mouth and she went limp. It seemed that her body seemed to have a fondness for candies... not that she will admit that she found it very very sweet and addictive.
Currently she was now on a checkup on some white portable medical bed with wheels? Honestly she stopped thinking about it. One of the people checking on her spoke to the other.
"It seems her right leg is broken while the other has a nasty bruise. Her breathing is normal and any other test shows positive which means she is fine. Though she may need a cast and lots of rest."
"Well at least we found one alive. We should transp-"
"SIR, WE FOUND SOME OTHER PEOPLE ALIVE AT THE BASEMENT. THE WAY IS BLOCKED BY DEBRIS SO WE NEED HELP."
"-heheHAHA... at least there are people still alive. Everyone give your best efforts to this search and rescue operation! I want everyone busy NOW!"
Arturia heard yells of confirmation before everyone started searching some crumbled buildings and so on. Just then a flash every knights of her kingdom aiding the poor villagers came to her mind for a second. Her proud knights seemed to overlap each and every workers here who were trying their best to help others in need.
Maybe... Just maybe...
"But this much I can say with certainty,"
The last words of her knight, who went on the battlefield with her, who bled blood for her and his fellow knights, a friend, who couldn't forgive himself and ultimately became the berserker of the Grail War repeated in her mind.
"King Arthur, you were the greatest of all Kings who ever lived, all of those at the roundtable, who served you, felt the same."
What... Just what should I do?
She wanted to hope, deny, just anything to keep her mind about the last words said by... Her Friend. Was she truly wrong to make things right? To be a king was to stand alone, to protect your subject, to kill your emotions to make the perfect decisions. She wanted to change her past, to make sure someone else more worthy than her was to be chosen so as to change the fate of her country.
Then another scene flashed into her mind before she felt at ease somehow. This time she was not on the hills of her dead knight but somewhere else, somewhere that had left an equal impression to her.
On the cloudy autumn day, the winds howled. It rustled the soft grasses on the field. A ray of sunshine, pouring its light on an object at the center of the field. A slab of stone where the most beautiful sword was stabbed.
This... This memory!
Young Arturia seemed to be walking in a determined manner along with her mentor. A man with long wild unruly white hair with equally pale skin covered by his hood who seemed to be moving in front of her. While reaching at a distance to the Sword of Selection he seemed to pause, as if pondering something, and then stopped Arturia before moving towards it.
There was someone already there. A young blond girl with wild long hair in red and black clothing who looked to be the same age as Arturia herself. For a while she felt like she had some connections to Arturia herself. (Author: wink* wink*) That young girl seemed to hesitate before the sword. Then her mentor asked to the young girl,
"Oya, are you not gonna do it?"
The girl flinched. The poor girl seemed to have been surprised by her mentor. Then her mentor looked to his side where the determined young Arturia seemed to be moving toward the Sword and stood before it.
This... This was the time when she first decided to pull the sword and become a king!?
Her mentor again asked,
"You should consider it thoroughly before you pick it up"
She didn't waver. It was the right thing to do. The blond girl beside her looked at her in a trance as if she was thinking of something.
"Yeah, once you pick up the sword, there is only a cruel fate."
!! It was someone else's voice!!
Her mentor asked her again as if to confirm something,
"If you pick up that sword you will stop being human, you know?"
But her young self didn't waver before answering him,
"No, if I can make people happy with it, I am sure it's not a wrong decision."
Then she grabbed the hilt of the sword. The blonde near her seemed to be surprised just when the winds blowed and then Arturia pulled the famous sword without hesitation. The Sword, as if answering her determination, got pulled out easily and she hoisted the sword above her when the sun rays fell on her making it feel divine.
"Saa, what would you do?"
Merlin asked while gazing at the young unknown blond girl before looking towards the sky, at her and smiled. He then whispered so that only she could hear,
"Nee, big Arturia."
She gasped as she suddenly woke up from her trance. The person near her asked if there was anything wrong. She shook her head to deny... maybe a little sweet will help a little.
"... maybe one more of this orange stuff?"
The worker raised his eyebrow at her before fishing out the same thing he gave to her earlier. She sheepishly accepted it before taking out the wrapper and putting it in her mouth. Now that she took a good look at it, the whole place seemed to be burned down. Then she realized she had no idea where she was.
"Excuse me, kind sir. Do you know where I am?"
The worker looked surprised at her polite gentleman manner(?) before muttering to himself which sounded a lot like amnesia or something.
"This is Inaba neighborhood."
She was confused. The worker looked at her in surprise.
"... you know, Fuyuki City?"
Arturia seemed to be shocked but held it inside of her. She looked blank to the worker as if she didn't know about it. She asked again.
" Which year is it? "
The worker was now dumbfounded and muttered to himself which Arturia could hear.
"Totally seems like a case of amnesia. Maybe the trauma of the fire could have repressed her memory?"
"It is 1994 AD girl. "
Arturia decided to play dumb. Not honorable in the least but at least rational at the moment. She was from a bygone Era who didn't even have the least amount of common sense of people of this Era. The Grail only seemed to provide the general gist of information and even that amount of information was not accessible due to her strange situation.
"Do you remember anything? Your name? Parents? Address? Anything?"
Arturia shook her head and replied,
"It seems... only my first name I can remember. Nothing else."
The worker looked perplexed before asking,
"Well, can I ask for your name please?"
"It's Arturia."
"Well shit...-
Other workers :" Language!! You are in front of a minor!! "
-She might be a foreigner. "
Other workers:"..."
"With an amnesia. Whose parents could be dead or alive. In a foreign country."
Other workers :"Shit..."
Arturia didn't know why but she giggled for the first time in a long while. All these stress were piling up before she laid down on the 'portable bed' (She dubbed thee) and hit the dreamland.
Maybe... Just maybe I need to unwind a little bit and ponder about my wish.
After few hours, Arturia woke up. The first thing she saw was a white ceiling. She got up and looked sideways. It seemed that the curtain had obstructed her view from others. There was a kind of beeping sound where a monitor with green lights and some kind of beeping line was there. (Dear Arturia doesn't know about heart monitor) There was an itch on her hand where a pipe was inserted in her which was inserted to a... plastic bag filled with water? Arturia decided to stop even thinking about it lest she goes insane.
It seemed that her broken leg was inside a white cast and hanging a little. She decided to move her toe a little bit and was happy to see it working. She focused on her inner self, especially her magic core. It seemed to have half it's capacity. She then looked at her leg.
Hmm.. It will fully heal in a few days due to my dragon heritage. Other wounds will heal in a day. Though I guess I need to leave in secret lest they become curious as to why I can heal so fast. Then there is the main question: After I escape what should I do? I am in 1994. The Grail war won't happen for at least half a century. My wish... seems no longer my own wish. Haah... so much to think about.
Arturia released a sigh. Now that she focused on her surroundings she could feel something familiar to her. But before she could ponder on it she heard footsteps indicating the arrival of someone.
Just the door opened. Though she could not see much, she could hear the footsteps of two person. From the sound and the timing of the footsteps she could deduce that one of them was the doctor as his footsteps were sloopy and he smelled like the hospital chemicals. The other one she was not sure. His footsteps were light and controlled though irregularities occurred occasionally as if he was in pain or something similar.
An Assassin.
Arturia concluded. Though something about this assassin was wrong. She could feel that the assassin was somehow cursed by the very thing that destroyed the section of the city. She was curious about the assassin. Then the doctor said something that made her blood run cold.
"Here we are Mr. Emiya. You said that you want to see the boy?"
The voice Arturia wouldn't mind not hearing it ever again, spoke up in calm manner.
"Yes doctor."
Now she was thinking it seemed that Kiritsugu had some relation to the curse. He was cursed and seemed to be in pain. She could not feel his prana as if something was gnawing at his magical circuit.
"So you said you wanted to adopt him as your son? Well you need the boy's consent though. Much of the city is in turmoil because of the fire. The boy didn't seem to have any relatives though. So well listen boy... a ... Shirou was it? Yeah Shirou, what do you want to do? Do you want to go to the orphanage or with the man that saved you? "
What?! Kiritsugu had saved a child? The man who would even blow up a building to kill just a single person would save a child? Arturia was dumbstruck. Just then the boy seemed to have made a decision.
And hopefully a sane one
Arturia 'prayed' for the boy. She was thanking the fairies for the curtains in between them because if it weren't for the curtains she would have had to see that damnable Kiritsugu's face. And she would go on a rampage that would even make the Saxons fear her like the devils themselves. Just when she decided to forget about the grail incident for the moment, things just had to go down the drain. Is this the result of her D-rank luck while being Kiritsugu's servant?
It seems the boy had made a decision
She heard Kiritsugu gasp.
"Well it seems you have made up your mind boy. Well congratulations are in order then Mr. Emiya, now you need to fill up the form and send it to the office. Well I see me after you have talked to the boy though. Make sure to keep it small, there are other patients in here and they are sleeping. "
" I will do that doctor. I will follow you in a minute. "
" Though I am curious as to what you did to make the mayor give you the permit to adopt anyone? Well it doesn't matter because honestly I think the boy deserves a second chance. It seems he doesn't remember his past except his first name. No relatives seemed to have claimed him. Though the tragedy seems to have scarred us all.
More than 500 people died you know. Some with their family while others in ecah others arm. We lost hope of ever finding someone alive in the hell hole. Only few tens of people have survived while thousands were injured even though they were outside of the fire radius. That is why many rooms are being shared with other patients. Damn I want to throttle the damn terrorists who did this!"
The doctor then left them and went outside. She could hear Kiritsugu sigh. He then went to the boy place and just waited there in silence. If Arturia didn't want to be involved with the likes of him the she would have certainly make a racket because the silence was unnerving. Just then she heard Kiritsugu talk.
"... You know I am a mage?"
And wanted to smack herself with her hand but the boy seemed to be amazed because she could hear a gasp.
That's it for today. Hope you all like it as well as the references from Apocrypha. It seemed that Arturia could feel Avalon inside of Shirou despite many other people not finding out about it of they didn't have prior knowledge to it. Though I must say I can only update once a week to a fortnight because I have exams coming up. Thank you all for reading it. Though from next time I will try to keep it above 7k words.