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Clarent Blood Arthur: A Fate/Stay Night Fanfiction
Chapter 13: Recuperation
"So...this is her dream."
Berserker found herself to be on the viewing end of the looking glass of the dream cycles both Master and Servant share. This wasn't new to her; she had let her Master see parts of her legend from her formative days under Morgan's watchful eye to her tenure as a knight of Camelot.
What made this particular dream cycle different was that, this time, it was the Servant who peered into the Master's dreams. While it was not uncommon, this would be the first time she will get a glimpse of her Master's life.
The Knight of Treachery found her dreamscape quite familiar; the same magnificent marble pillars, the decadent tapestry and the crystalline snowflakes that fell outside was a sight she had been familiar with for two months before the War.
It was indeed the Einzbern Castle in Germany. Specifically, she was in her Master's old room. However, it was worlds apart from when she last saw it; while it remained the glamorous living space despite being filled with but the bare essentials, there was a certain warmth about the place that wasn't there before. Perhaps it had to do with the numerous stuffed animals laying about.
She looked around and, sure enough, she saw a much younger version of her Master, clad in a purple nightgown, gazing out into the window. Her much smaller frame was fidgeting in place, her tiny body filled with unbridled anticipation.
She stayed like this for a few minutes when she finally saw something stir in the frozen woods.
"He's here!"
Berserker watched as the young girl literally jump from her perch and sprint towards the door. Considering just how massive the castle was, the Servant noted that it was a commendable feat to get there as quickly as she did. She watched as the the girl ran towards the massive doors in anticipation, her eyes wide with longing as her beloved papa was finally home.
"Welcome back, Kiri-!"
Only for that anticipation to die down suddenly as the doors suddenly swung open. After bracing herself against the harsh frigid winds that crashed against her tiny frame, she saw that there was no one there. Disappointed, she pouted while turning to look at the side.
What Mordred saw next horrified her.
"What the devil?" She murmured in disbelief as some sort of black ooze crawled towards Ilyasviel. As it got close, it took the form of a woman with blackened skin that used to be likened to snow and long tar-covered hair that was once could be compared to silk. The abomination proceeded to wrap her arms around Ilya in what was supposed to be a mother's embrace.
No, Berserker couldn't call it that. It lacked the warmth and tenderness required for one.
"Mother?"
The Servant's surprise grew even more as her Master referred to the misshapen glob as her mother. Considering how she had described her back in the earlier days of their contract, it was hard to believe.
"No." The abomination answered back "Your mother was killed at the hands of the man she loved."
"What are you saying?" The young homunculus inquired curiously "Mama said she would become the Holy Grail...and that Kiritsugu would protect her."
Mordred could only watch as the abomination summarized the end of the War: Kiritsugu destroying the Grail and betraying the Einzberns. As she spoke, the young child's delicate features twisted and contorted into a face of grief.
The Knight of Treachery wanted nothing more than to smite this monster for even touching her Master, let alone for telling her all this, but all she could do was watch as Ilyasviel let out a bloodcurdling shriek.
"NOOOOOOO!"
Berserker awoke with a gasp, bolting upright from where she lay. Beads of sweat trickling down her brow, she took deep breaths in order to calm herself down.
"That..." She gasped in deep heaves as her eyes were wide open "That was-"
"Good morning, Berserker-sama."
She turned to see the wizened butler known as Daigoro Morimoto, looking as refined as ever while giving her a smile that showed his age. "I see that you slept well."
"Shut it." Berserker scowled at the man. "How long were you there?"
"I arrived a few minutes before that rather dynamic awakening." He chuckled before shifting to a more serious subject. "At any rate, it is good to see you recovering from last night's battle. How is your wound?"
"Quite an annoyance, but one I can live with." Berserker noted as she placed a hand on her chest; while Ilya was able to mitigate the damage using Clarent Blood Arthur caused, Gae Bolg's wound remained due to it's cursed nature.
"How is she?" The Servant asked, abruptly derailing her train of thought.
"The young mistress was quite shaken, but she is thankfully unharmed." Morimoto answered without a beat. "That was quite a scare you have given us last night."
"One that could have been avoided." Berserker laughed self-deprecatingly. "I had assured my Master that I would not lose to any foe. Yet, here I am, felled by the Servant Lancer."
"Do not be too hard on yourself, Berserker-sama." The butler answered in an attempt to raise her spirits. "It has been established in legend that Gae Bolg's sting meant certain death. You are quite lucky to have survived such a blow."
"Perhaps. This cursed wound I now bear should serve as a reminder." Berserker nodded as she touched her chest, the damage done certainly leaving it's mark.
"Moving on to another topic, I presume that the manner in which you have awoken means that you have seen your Master's past?"
Berserker did a double take on the elder man, amazed that he was quite straightforward about this matter. "And what is it to you?" She answered back in typical fashion.
"Just satisfying my curiosity is all." Morimoto replied with a chuckle. "Whilst uncommon, it is not unheard of that a Servant can peer into the Master's life via the Dream Cycle."
"Is that so?" Berserker replied with a her own knowing smirk. "In that case, I may have finally figured you out, Morimoto Daigoro."
"Oh?" The old man raised a brow. "Care to elaborate on your hypothesis, then?"
"Gladly." The Servant of Madness wasted no time explaining. "As I have said before, you seem to know way too much about the Servant System. During our talk that night I bested Saber, you spoke with such familiarity with how the contract works, as if you have seen it happen before your very eyes."
"Perhaps I may have just been a witness of the last War?" Morimoto countered with a friendly smile. "Not only was I an agent of the Church, I am also quite long-lived."
"I can see that. In fact, that was my first guess as well." Berserker nodded as she slowly sat upright, a clear indicator that she was in good health. "However, there is the matter of your Mystic Code. What did you say comprises the Lord's Prayer again?"
"A liter of my own blood, the fang of a Dead Apostle, and the lock of a Servant's hair-" Morimoto immediately cut himself short. From the look he gave her, Berserker could guess that he knew where she was going.
"That last component is practically impossible to come by. Unless you were directly involved in the Grail Wars themselves." Berserker then proceeded to step out of her bed and gave him a cocky smirk. "I believe I do not need to elaborate any further, former Master."
"So you've unraveled my secret. I have to admit, I am impressed, Berserker-sama." Morimoto chuckled, amused by her deduction. "To think my Mystic Code gave me away."
After taking a deep breath, Morimoto nodded to affirm her suspicions. "As such, I believe a re-introduction is in order." With a smile, he bowed that gentlemanly way of his before he spoke once more "I am Morimoto Daigoro; Former Executor, Master of the Third Holy Grail War and currently a humble Servant of the Einzbern Family."
"Well met. Make no mistake, you and I will have a discussion soon enough. I still have many questions regarding your involvement with the past Wars." Berserker smirked as she walked past him, making sure to grab her coat that was hanging on the rack before moving towards the door. "For now, this shall suffice. 'Tis fortunate for us, then, that you are on our side. Especially one who can hold a Servant at bay."
With that, she said no more and left immediately to find Ilya.
As soon as he was certain that Berserker made her exit, Morimoto let out a long sigh. While he did appreciate the praise, he knew for a fact that it took all he had to even stand up to Archer. He was quite lucky that Tohsaka's Servant was holding back considerably.
"I suppose I deserve this." He chuckled to himself despite not looking forward to another interrogation. He was about to make his exit when he felt a strange buzz come from the Bible he used to keep the Lord's Prayer.
"Unusual." He mused as he picked up his book. To his surprise, it felt warm to the touch. "This hasn't happened since the Last War. The only time this this effect would occur would be when-." He immediately stopped himself there, realizing the implications of his words.
"But it can't be..." He murmured in a quiet whisper. "Can it?"
It was later that afternoon when Leticia Delacroix found herself walking through the shopping district clad in a knee high white dress with a purple jacket on top of it and burgundy boots. Her amethyst tinted orbs wandered as she walked, observing the people engaged in the usual hustle and bustle of their daily lives.
"Ignorance can be bliss, in a way." She noted with a smile. These normal folk were not aware of the supernatural side of this city they lived in. The side that dealt with Magi, Heroic Spirits and the bloody ritual known as the Holy Grail War. One can only imagine the panic to be had if they learned that the cause of the so-called "gas leaks" were mystical in origin.
She continued to walk the streets while enjoying a delicious strawberry crepe in her hand. Her thoughts were distracted by the tart flavor of the fruit which was complemented by the sweetness of the cream and the softness of the pastry.
"This is also bliss." She happily nibbled on the treat like it was the best thing in the world. "'Cest' Manifique! Tis a shame such a delectable treat did not exist in my time. I must take the time to learn how to- whoops!"
Whilst Jeanne D'Arc was no doubt a graceful woman in her past life, her human host and descendant was, for the lack of a better term, a klutz. As such, her foot got caught in a loose piece of pavement and she ended up nearly falling on her face. Her battle-hardened instincts acted up, using her hands to catch herself before launching into a flip that ended with her landing on her feet.
"As impressive as that was, Delacroix-san, this would make it the second time now you got food on me."
"Eh?" Blinking in confusion, she took stock of her surroundings and immediately noticed two things; One, her crepe was gone and, two, said crepe was a splattered white stain on the shirt of one particular Student Council President who had an annoyed expression on his face .
"Oh dear, it seems I did it again." Leticia laughed sheepishly as she reached into her purse in search of a wipe. "My apologies, Ryuudou-kun."
"No matter. I have a feeling this will happen to me whenever I run into you." Issei sighed in exasperation, unaware that he might have just jinxed himself.
"I suppose I will have to make it up to you." The girl sighed sighed as she got too much into his personal space for his liking, causing him to go rigid where he stood.
"Wh-wh-what are you doing?!" Issei, blushing and wide-eyed, stammered while dabbed her handkerchief on his stained chest.
"As I have said, I will make it up to you." She smiled innocently. Whether she was aware of the implications of what she said or not, she did not show. It took a minute, but she was able to mostly clean him up. "There. All done!"
"This girl will be the death of me." Issei sighed with relief. He looked down to see that she had done a stellar job; While his shirt still had bits of strawberry on them, most of the mess had been cleaned out. "Thank you."
"It was my fault to begin with, so it was only natural." The exchange student giggled. "At any rate, what brings about today? As Student Council President, there must be tasks to complete even with the school closed." It was at that point she noticed the bag of apples he had been carrying.
"While that is certainly true, it doesn't hurt to take a break every once in a while." Issei nodded like the studious student he was, pushing up the bridge of his glasses in typical fashion. "But if you must know, I'm on my way to visit Emiya."
"Isn't that a coincidence!" The French girl clapped her hands with a sunny demeanor. "I was on my way to see him myself!"
"See Emiya? What for?" Issei asked her with a raised brow.
"Just for school related matters, I assure you. I am quite horrible at math, you see." She giggled while folding her hands behind her back, smiling mischievously as she did. "What is the matter? Are you jealous, Ryuudou-kun?"
"I will not humor that with a response." He sighed for the nth time, feeling exhausted trying to keep up with her. "At any rate, we should go together since we're headed the same way. I don't feel comfortable leaving a visitor to wander the city by herself."
"That does sound like a plan." Leticia nodded with a smile. Without even having time to blink, she latched on to the bespectacled student's arm. "You're quite the gentleman, you know?"
"Honestly..." Issei sighed before looking down at his current companion. With those deep eyes, tawny blonde hair and impressive figure, he can see why she had half of the Homurahara's male population under her spell. "At least she's easier to get along with, not like that woman living with in the Temple."
"Something your mind, Ryuudou?"
"It's nothing." Issei dismissed her with a shake of his head. "Anyway, we should get going now."
"Right." Leticia agreed as they began to walk towards the residential areas. Inwardly, she was a little thankful that a legitimate excuse to see two of the War's Masters dropped on her lap.
"I'll get it!"
Of course, it fell to Emiya Shirou to get the door. He had been in the middle of a training session with Saber when he heard the bell ring. Upon asking her to wait in the dojo, he immediately made a bee-line for the hallway.
What should have been a quiet afternoon was immediately tossed out the window when he heard a very masculine shout from the other end. Sensing danger, the red-head quickened his pace to see what the commotion was about, preparing for a fight if necessary.
"T-T-TOHSAKA! What are you doing here?!"
"Oh, so you're Tohsaka-san! Nice to meet you!"
As it turns out, Rin had beaten him to the door and answered it. Seeing that he hadn't told Issei that she had been living with him since last weekend, his reaction was expected.
"Ryuudou-san, can we please not cause so much commotion right now? I'm only living here because of some renovations going on in my house." Rin narrowed her eyes in annoyance, speaking in a pseudo-polite tone before noticing the other person. "Oh, you're that exchange student. Delacroix-san, right?"
"Please, call me Leticia. It's nice to meet you, Tohsaka-san!" The blonde nodded, returning with a cheery smile. She then turned to notice Shirou standing in the behind her. "Greetings to you as well, Emiya-san!"
"Hey, Leticia-san." Shirou returned the reply just as the sound of running was heard at his heels.
"Shirou! What's the emergen- Oh." Saber, who began running after she heard Issei's yell, had turned the corner to see the scene that was unfolding before her. "It seems we are not under siege then. My apologies."
"Under siege?" Issei asked quizzically to this girl-he-had-never-met before turning to his red-headed friend. "Shirou. Explain. Now."
While he did not look forward to thinking up a cover story for all this, Shirou knew that he had no wait out now.
"Let's take this inside."
One Hour Later...
"Well, will you look at the time? I have to get going."
"Thank goodness!" Shirou was relieved that Saber and Rin managed to get their stories straight. Saber, in particular, told Issei and Leticia that she was a family friend of his, which made sense since his father was fond of travelling the country. What followed that awkward meeting was one of the quieter times he's had in a while: Various snacks and tea was served while Rin and Issei traded barbs with each other, Leticia sitting beside him laughing at the comedy of it all, and Saber sitting in the midst of it all with a small smile on her face.
"This...this is nice." He smiled despite himself. Despite his unrelenting pursuit of his ideal, he cannot help but feel at peace with that small gathering. All that was missing was Sakura and the bunch would be complete.
"I should visit her when I have the chance." He mentally noted before his thoughts turned to one other individual: Ilyasviel von Einzbern.
"I wonder how she and Berserker are doing..." He knew that Rin and Saber would think of him as crazy if they heard him, but there was a strange tug on his heart whenever he thought of that girl. He just didn't know what.
"If you don't mind, Ryuudou-san, I'd like to stay here a little longer."
Shirou's mind returned from the clouds when Leticia spoke of staying. He turned to Issei to see him raising his brow.
"Are you sure? I can accompany you home, if you wish." His friend offered, but she shook his head.
"You're quite kind, Ryuudou-kun, but I still haven't asked that favor from Emiya-san yet."
"You can bother Tohsaka with the math homework." Issei spoke as Rin stuck her tongue out at him. Believing that he had enough craziness for one day, he stood up and relented to her wishes. "But if you say so, I cannot argue." He then turned to Shirou with his usual stoic look. "Make sure she gets home safely, alright?"
"Gotcha." Satisfied with Shirou's answer, Issei nodded at the others before the red-head accompanied him out.
"So Leticia-san," Rin spoke as Shirou returned from the door to his seat. "What sort of help do you need? Perhaps I can be of assistance."
"My thanks, Master of Archer. However, that was a farce to conceal the true reason of my visit."
The fact that Leticia stated Rin's title with a sunny demeanor, let alone her knowledge of it, was enough to cause the two Masters and Servant to do a double-take.
"W-Wait a minute!" Predictably, Rin was the first to explode over this casual revelation. "How did you know?! No one should no unless-"
"Unless she is a Master as well." Saber finished, her eyes narrowing while her body tensed up to spring into action. "Know that I will not hesitate to strike you down should you show ill intent."
"Guys, calm down!" Shirou acted as the voice of reason. "We haven't heard what she has to say. Let's listen to her story before we jump into any conclusions."
After a moment of intense deliberation, both Magus and Servant collectively calmed down and relaxed their postures every so slightly.
"My thanks, Master of Saber. I do apologize for riling you both up unnecessarily. As for your question, the answer is both a yes and no."
"That is most confusing." Saber stated bluntly.
"Indeed. What would be the best way to put it?" Leticia put a finger on her chin as she pondered on a better way to explain herself. "I suppose it would be easier to show you. Lancelot, Gawain, you can come out now!"
As if on cue, both knights materialized behind her, looking as stalwart as ever in their crisp suits. All three of them immediately put the pieces together, her identity all too clear to them now.
"It can't be..." Rin would be the first to speak their thoughts. "That would mean...that you are..."
"I suppose a proper re-introduction is in order." The french woman spoke with such clarity that they hung on her every word. "My host's name is Leticia Chevalier Delacroix. However, my true identity is Jeanne D'Arc, the Maid of Orleans and Servant Ruler of the 5th Holy Grail War."
End Chapter 13
A/N: Ladies and Gentlemen, it's good to be back!
Sorry I took my time with this one. I was aiming to have this out before the New Year, but life happened as usual. Once again, sorry for taking so long!
Mordred: By life, he means video games and anime.
Anyway...a new year means more fanfictions to write! Look forward to updates of my current stories as well as new projects (coughcoughNeptuniacoughcough) that might pop-up!
Also, a big thank you once again to my beta-reader Shrapnel893 for his help. Be sure to check out his stories, especially his newest one Hero Fall. I know I will!
Well, that pretty much wraps up everything I needed to say. Thanks for your support once again, dear readers, and don't forget to leave a review when you're done reading! I'm the King of Beasts, and I'll see you all next chapter!
Next time on Clarent Blood Arthur: La Pucelle!