"My body is _"
"_ iron and _ glass."
"_ countless battlefields."
"Not _ retreating,"
"Not _ victorious."
"_ alone, _ a hill of swords."
"Thus, _ life _ no meaning."
"_ infinite swords."
Ritsuka Emiya awoke sweating, the sun hitting her face even trough her closed curtains. Why was her bed in just the middle spot of those things again? She'd have to move it. Not like it would help with the sweating, spring was around the corner and the heat right behind. Nights of sweating, mosquitoes, unbearable school days trapped in a tight uniform. All came in a neat little package.
Rubbing her eyes, clad in nothing but short pants and her sleeping shirt, she went downstairs. Her house was medium size, with two rooms plus bathrooms upstairs and a living room along with kitchen, garden and entrance hall on the lower floor. Just left of the stairs, she would all mornings go to the kitchen, make a coffee and quickly eat something before going to school. Her mother always woke later, while her father was gone before dawn.
This morning, her kitchen not only smelt of pancakes, eggs and toast; with the food already on the table shinning with sparkles but also had two present parents. A head of black hair and green eyes was reading a magic tome while the orange head handled the kitchen with swiftness.
"Mom? Dad? What's going on?" She asked, rubbing her eyes. Her surprise and excitement drowned by her sleepiness.
"Oh hey Firecracker." Said her father, turning around to smile at her with Amber eyes like her own. "Today's the day, so I thought I'd prepare something special with your mom. But I ended up doing it all on my own." He admitted, looking at her mother, who blushed and looked indignant.
"What are you trying to imply?" She asked, shooting daggers at his back.
"Only that I did most of the work, even tough this was your idea." He said casually, not a hint of malice in his voice. Ironically, this was more effective when it came to teasing his wife.
"Well, not like that sword brain of your would think about something like this, Shirou. In fact, you almost forgot" Answered the black haired woman. Her husband sighed.
"You got me there, Tohsaka." He conceded the argument, bringing two plates with breakfast to the table and taking a seat. The young Ritsuka did the same, and quickly started eating the meal before her with voraciousness. If she hadn't known her dad, she would have swore his magecraft specialization was food. Once someone tasted it, they would always want more. The worst part was he was always glad to do it free of charge, much to the chagrin of his two family members.
They ate in silence for a few moments. Times like these were rare, and the longer they lasted the more memories she could create. She was thankful for the parents she had, a mom that would teach her with equal amounts of sternness and sweetness, and a dad who did anything and everything for them without complaining.
Yet, a question lingered in her mind. And as a mage and a twelve year old, she was curious.
"So, why this so suddenly guys? I love it, but you often… you know… do cooler things." She said sheepishly. Her parents looked at each other for a moment, then Rin got an irritated look on her face. The kind that sprung every time her daughter made an obvious mistake; wether in training or in real life.
"You forgot about…?" She started, reaching under the table. Her mother was not an abuser, but was prone to fits of annoyance that threw harmless things. Tough if pushed enough, one of her jewels would come flying. But only when it came to her aunt Luvia. Regardless, Ritsuka prepared for the worst. "...Your initiation?" Her mother finally pulled out a large box, thrice as long as her torso.
The young Ritsuka sighed, and immediately rushed to the object forgetting all about her previous fear. Gifts were not rare from her father, but her mother was another story. With inhuman speed she took the gift in her hands, and her mother was left holding air with a deadpan look.
"Emiya, can you please control your daughter?" She asked, but Shirou just shrugged. The girl had already opened the box. Inside it, snugging nicely in a cushion, was a dark purple short sword with an ornate design and engravings on the blade. She recognized it, every magus kid had floundered one at least once. An Azoth sword, a mana amplifier. But not only that, but she could tell, this was no normal azoth sword
"Awesome!" She screamed with delight. "Is it one of yours, dad?" She asked. Shirou just smiled sweetly, confirming her question. When it came to weapons, her dad was a master. Although his craft was of the private sort, he had promised to one day gift her a sword. Ritsuka was enamored by weapons and the heroes that wielded them. She cared for the designs and functions, but the histories were the fascinating part for her.
She pulled out the sword and gave it a few playful swings. This Azoth Sword was bigger, stronger, and lighter, while the air produced by it's arcing let out a satisfying sound.
"it's not a toy, Ritsuka-chan. If you want to test it, daddy can take the time to take you to the dojo." Said her mother with a stern gaze. The girl looked at her dad for help, but he held the same look. With a sigh, she put the sword back into it's receptacle.
"I love it dad, mom. Thank you so much!" She said, going to hug the two of them.
Then came three knocks, and the sound of a door opening. With the scene interrupted, the family looked at the hallway that led to the entrance. From the corner, a man with a red coat and long hair came, looking haggard.
"It's time, you two." He said coldly.
"Emiya. I have bad news for you."
"Emiya!"
"Please… Wake up!" her eyes refocused, and a face formed in her field of vision. Black raven hair atop her. Her partner, Ritsuka Fujimaru, looked at her with eyes that almost overflowed with tears. He sat on a small metal stool, leaning against her bed. No, not her bed, a bed from the medical wing of Chaldea.
"Ritsu? What happened?" She asked, her voice weak and hoarse. She tried to upright herself, but could barely move her arms.
"You… don't remember?" He asked. The boy looked bad; bags under eyes, hair messy, face and hands bandaged. Her father's memory was fresh in her mind, and remembered the steps to ensure she was in good condition anytime. First her body. Her circuits were strained, and she had some mild lacerations and burns. Familiars second. She had none, except her Servant. The valkyrie's signature was there, faint and in standstill. The command seals where still in her hand, faded, but they would come back in time. She relaxed.
"I remember…" She said, searching her memories. Some came back. A mist covered London. Dr Jekyll and Hyde, a knight in red, the book author and... Frankenstein? Then, a familiar name. Makiri Zolgen, and… a tanned man, with white her and black orbs for eyes with a glint of crimson, smiling wickedly. Everything else was hazy. "We were in London, there was mist and automatons everywhere. And then…" She said, but trailed off. Her head hurt.
"Don't push yourself." He said, caressing her hair. No one had done that in a long time, and the boy always kept his distance from her. What changed? Ritsuka Fujimaru then reached for the device on his wrist. "She's awake doctor."
"On my way." Said a voice, stress evident in it's voice.
"Where are the valks?" Asked Emiya. During the singularities of septem and Okeanos, the bond and magical energy between her and ortlinde grew stronger, and in time, a separate Valkyrie was summoned. Da Vinci explained it was "A reimagining of Saint Graph Ascension." She now essentially had access to two almost equal servants. Their power had a hard limit, but they were still powerful servants. First came the pink haired, bubbly Hildr. Then the gold haired beauty that was Thrud, also the most serious Valkyrie.
"In spirit form. Inactive." He stated.
"Inactive?" She repeated the unfamiliar term.
"Yes. To consume as little mana as possible." He answered.
"But why? I can handle one…" She began. She could handle only one valkyrie at a time, at best two. The three of them, as explained by Da Vinci, would drain her and leave her like beef jerky in no time, so the summoning of all three was forbidden.
"Emiya, you went ballistic against solomon. You summoned all three of them, and used all command seals. Me and Mash had to handle the rest." He said. After hearing those words, she was stunned at how calm and full of worry they were, rather than the fury they should have. If Fujimaru had done such a reckless thing, she would have kicked his ass ten times over and thrown him down the mountain. But he hadn't been the reckless one, it had been her.
"Why?" Why would she do something so reckless despite all her training, all the warnings from everyone?
Before the boy could say anything else, the door to the room she was in opened, and in came Doctor Roman with resident genius Da Vinci in tow.
"Thanks goodness you're alright, Tohsaka- I mean Emiya- I mean…" Said the doctor, his tongue tripping in his mouth.
"Emiya is fine doctor. It's… what I prefer…" She wanted to tease him, to laugh at his awkwardness but she knew that was undeserved at this time. That dnd she didn't have the energy for it.
"Alright. Let me check on your vitals real quick." Said the doctor. Now that he was in his field of expertise, he sounded much more confident.
"You should take a rest, Fujimaru-kun. Even geniuses need at least an hour of sleep, from time to time. I don't need to tell you how much a human needs." Said Da Vinci with a wink at the boy. He blushed, and then looked at her.
"She'll be in our care. Don't you trust a doctor and a servant?" She asked.
"It's just…" He began, and the girl wanted him to finish. What was his reason?
"Go, Ritsu. I'll be fine. Really." She said, trying her best to smile while being checked.
"O-Okay. I'll see you later, then." He said. When he left, Da Vinci took his now empty seat.
"Young people are so troublesome these days. Not like I was any different. Although society is different than a single person." Said the inventor. Ritsuka found her patience extremely low that day. She wanted to know so many things, like why her head hurt. What happened in London.
"Da Vinci. Doc. Tell me what happened please." Said the girl, her voice pleading. Da Vinci's expression turned sullen, and after exchanging looks with the doctor, the latter spoke.
"You guys fixed the singularity. But before that, the real threat appeared." Said the doctor.
"The real threat?" Asked Ritsuka, her chest tightening. A sensation that she would normally push down under all circumstances rising along with something else. An unshakeable anger, labored breathing, a migraine.
"Doctor!" Said Da Vinci. The girl felt something stab her arm, and then she was calm.
"Do not over exert yourself, Emiya. Calm down." Said the doctor with a shaky voice.
"Sorry." Apologized the girl, leaning back into the pillow.
"No need. Given the circumstances, I wouldn't fare better. In fact, if the Director and Da Vinci weren't constantly on my back, I would lock myself up, hehe." Said Romani. Ritsuka smiled. The Doctor was clumsy, cowardly, pessimistic, but even so he kept strong and smiled for others. It would only be fair to smile back.
"Emiya-chan, we'll have a meeting tomorrow in the command room. So I will inform you of the current situation, so you can think and be well rested by then. Your memories should return shortly. Is that okay?" Asked Da Vinci. She was being strangely sweet. The resident genius was gentle and eccentric, but never this much.
"Okay."
"Good." Said the servant, straightening herself, always with a small smile. "Our enemy is Solomon, the King of Mages. He orchestrated the incineration of humanity. Why, how and when, we don't know yet. But we do have a few leads." Said the inventor. Memories flashed in the mind of the red-headed master, like a broken record that gave her a migraine.
Red and black eyes. Pillars of flesh behind him.
Shakespeare, Andersen, Kintoki, Tamamo, Mordred. All wiped away without a sweat. She had used her best jewels, jewels her mother crafted for her so many years ago. Fujimaru screaming his lungs out, giving commands and crying of despair when a companion fell.
Nothing. Nothing worked. He, no, IT, because nothing like it could be human; spared them on a whim.
"I… We didn't…" She tried to speak, but found her voice failing. She didn't feel nauseous, or nervous anymore, probably due to whatever the Doctor gave her. But her voice didn't seem to think the same.
"You did your best." Said Romani, now taking a seat opposite of her.
"Given the circumstances, both me and the director were impressed. You and Fujimaru adapted extremely well, although…"
"Not now Da Vinci." Said the doctor, cutting her short.
"There's never a bad time for a lecture, Romani." Said the servant.
"I know… but I think Emiya-san really needs time to rest. This may be too heavy for now." He said, scratching the back of his head. "Also… I need to see Magi-Mari's updates…" He muttered under his voice. Da Vinci glared at him, and the girl almost thought she would slap him.
"Very well. Is that alright, Emiya?" Asked the servant. The girl nodded.
"Well then, we'll see you tomorrow. I would tell you not to be late due to you-know-who, buuut, if you ARE late, we'll cover for you." She said with a wink while standing up. "Have a good rest." With that, she went for the exit, and then was gone. Romani sighed, and then stood up.
"I don't know how you guys are going to get out of this one, but, after seeing everything you've managed to accomplish, I'm sure you'll be able to do something, I hope…" He said, and then looked down, dejected. "Sorry… I'm really bad at this…"
The girl simply laughed. "You did pretty good, Doc. You should rest too. You can even eat cake in my room if you want." She said. He blushed at that.
"I-If you say so." With that, he went to the door and opened it, then looked back at her. "Holler if you need me." He was also gone now, and the Ritsuka Emiya was left alone in the room. Leaning back into the pillow, she closed her eyes, and tried to focus on the missing pieces of her memory.
A mist covered city, a red knight, a device in the deepest tunnels, three Valkyries, the mystery of the Mage's Association. Mother. Mother. That word kept her awake for some time, repeating constantly like a mockingbird.
"Mother! Father!" One week had passed. The house was empty today. Her parents left on a mission. A 'Hero Mission' as her father called them. She did not mind being alone, they would come back. So she went and did her homework, along with her training.
"Mother? Father?" Two weeks had passed. Her father's missions took weeks at times, sometimes months. Her mother took care of her when that happened.
"Mom?… Dad?" Three weeks passed. Her mother also went on missions, or to do research, or to visit family. In that time, her dad stayed by her side. He always cooked delicious meals. He always smiled warmly. He was always there, for whatever whims she came up with.
"…" Four weeks passed. The house was still empty. Ritsuka had done everything, from regular training, to homework, to whatever a twelve year old with no supervision wanted, including TV in late hours and junk food.
She was in her mother's workshop, working on her gemcraft. One day, she said Ritsuka would have one of her own, but for now she was to use hers. Her father also had a workshop, but it was more like a small forge littered with swords. It was a hot and unpleasant place to be, so she rarely ventured there.
She finished the enchantment, and looked at her handiwork. The Emerald glowed with energy, but it was cracked and deformed. Her mother always emphasized that jewels were ancient pieces of the World, and as such had a will of their own. Infusing them with magical energy required patience and being in tune with the earth. She had neither, and so her product was third rate at best. A waste of resources, of money her mother always complained for lacking.
With a sigh, she left the gem on a nearby counter and went upstairs. It was 8'o clock, time for dinner. With no one else but her, she did not do anything elaborate. Some noodles would do. As she was boiling the water, the bell of her house rung.
She peeked trough the spy hole. A tall, blond woman in blue garments stood outside. Her heart rate rose up, and immediately set to opening the door. However, upon unlocking it, the woman went ahead and burst trough the entrance.
"Ohohoho! It's so good to be in the Lion's den without the lioness!" Said, no, yelled the woman with joviality, displaying herself for… no one. Still, Ritsuka smiled, wider than she had in weeks.
"Auntie Luvia!" She said, jumping at her and attempting to tackle her to the floor. She did not succeed, as the woman didn't budge an inch. She still managed to wrap herself around the waist.
"Oh my! How is my little niece? Did you miss the best aunt in the world?" Asked Luvia, returning the hug and spinning her around while laughing. Ritsuka felt her stomach run around her insides, but she enjoyed the sensation.
"Fineeeeee!" She screamed, being spun around so fast she swore she would go flying at any moment. Luckily, the woman stopped, ignoring the laws of inertia.
"I'm so glad! Look at you, so grown!" She said, kneeling down and pinching her cheeks.
"Yes. Im an adult now. I even got my own Azoth Sword!" She said. She really wanted to show it to her. Although Ritsuka loved her mother, she also adored Luvia. Mostly because she showered her in gifts every birthday, and always took good care of her when her parents where away, except this time.
"I see! I see! So your mom's training is better than mine. How utterly humiliating. But still, I'm proud of you." Said Luvia.
"So what bring you here Auntie? You could have told me and I would have cooked something." She said. For a moment, the woman's eye flashed with something like… sadness, then they were back to being jovial.
"I wanted it to be a surprise. And don't worry about food, I can always ask for a meal from my chef's." Said the woman, moving into the living room and taking a seat. Although she seemed to be happy, Ritsuka noted that she moved with some sluggishness. That was not like her aunt at all. Her aunt was strong, always striding with confidence and energy.
"Is everything okay?" Asked Ritsuka, taking a seat alongside her and snuggling near her arm. She had missed her so much. Anyone, really.
"Yes dear. I'm just a little tired." She said. "So, what have you been up to?"
"Not much. Watching TV late at night, since mom and dad are gone. I also infused a jewel, wanna see?" Asked the girl. She knew it was imperfect, but advice from another Jewel mage would certainly help her improve, even if her mother didn't like her daughter raking notes from her rival.
"Maybe later." Said the woman, resting against the arm of the couch. She seemed to want to say something, or be waiting for someone. Silence reigned for a while, and Ritsuka started to wonder not only about her aunt's strange behavior, but her parents whereabouts. Why hadn't Auntie Luvia come pick her up? Why didn't she notice that before? Maybe it was the excitement of being on her own in the house.
"Um… Auntie…" She said, looking at the woman. She returned the gaze. She looked even more exhausted now, and her smile was gone. "Do you know where mom and dad are?" There. It was now in the open.
Luvia said nothing for a minute.
"Some people will be coming over. I hope you don't mind." That hadn't been her question, but she did not want to pressure her aunt.
"Okay. Shall I…?"
"No. It's okay." She said, ruffling her hair. "You're too sweet, you know…"
"Yup. You tell me all the time. Wanna watch TV while we wait?" Asked little Ritsuka.
"Sure." Answered Luviagelita Edelfelt. Behind her smile, the girl could definitely see sadness.
"Is this really the best you can muster? How pitiful. This is why humanity is imperfect. You fear death, yet you have no power to fight it." The man in white and black spoke, but Ritsuka Emiya was not focused on that. Mash lie in front of him, shield barely holding up. The cavern was collapsing from the sheer power of the demon pillars.
"Mash!" Her male companion screamed, running to his servant and using his mystic code.
"Lancer! Cover him!" She ordered her servant, Hildr. The second Valkyrie she summoned. They did not ascend normally, instead reaching an upper limit and then being replaced by a stronger very similar servant. She could only summon one at a time, or else her mana would be drained before she could do much with the additional power.
"Alright!" Screamed the pink haired maiden. She was more excited and battle hungry than Ortlinde ever was. Ortlinde would be reserved, and fight conservatively behind her shield, always ready to retreat or to get back to her Master. Hildr was much more direct, more optimistic in her approach.
Another demon pillar attacked with energy blasts, but Hildr blocked them with her shield. The maiden was, however, forced to land due to the sheer force behind the attacks.
Mash got up, some of her injuries healed.
"Shielder, keep him busy and cover us!" He ordered. With that, both retreated to where Emiya was. A sound plan.
"Hildr. Attack directly, I don't think magic-" Before her order was completed, Hildr was assaulted once again. She felt the hits her servant received. It was significant damage.
"Damnit." She said, looking at her pocket. Three gems left. One sapphire for blinding her opponent, two rubies for high power attacks.
"Any ideas?" Asked Fujimaru.
"You're the tactician here!" She complained.
"Yeah, but you're the mage." He continued. A barrage of magic assaulted them
"Senpais. We need to do something now!" Screamed mash as she struggled to hold up her shield.
"Alright. Alright. Ummm… He must be controlling those pillars, right." Said the boy.
"They're his familiars, yes!" The girl said. "Anything I don't know Sherlock?" She asked in annoyance.
"If we kill solomon, they'll go away. Just blind him with your gems, if you can still do that, and Hildr can bombard him with her Noble Phantasm." He said.
"That's your plan?" She asked. It was simple, too simple. And even if she blinded solomon, the demon pillars were still a problem.
"Got any other ideas?" He asked, now annoyed as well.
"Maybe if we had time. Damnit. Alright." She said, gripping her sapphire tightly and activating the magical energy inside. "Linie; Brechen; Beleuchtung" She chanted. The magic gem activated. The barrage calmed for a moment, and in that small reprieve, she threw the gem with a reinforced arm. Strong enough to reach Solomon from their position.
"Now, Hildr! I order you by command seal! May your Spirit Origin be restored!" She screamed. The seal in her hand activated, releasing a tremendous amount of bright red magical energy. In that instant, Hildr's wounds disappeared, and she looked as if she had never entered combat.
"Alright, Now I'll-"
"How utterly pointless." The voice reverberated. Both Ritsukas looked at the king of mages. His hand was extended, and Emiya's gem nowhere to be seen.
"Not even third rate. Now die." With that, another barrage of magic came. Both Fujimaru and Mesh stepped to cover her, but Hildr wasn't so lucky.
Her body was impaled, penetrated, burned, and filled full of holes by the arcane attacks. She screamed in pain while the rain of magic consumed her. When the smoke cleared, she was on the ground, bleeding from multiple holes.
Emiya looked at her servant. She could not look away. She had ordered her there. She had told her to attack. Why did she do that? Why did she attempt to use magecraft against the greatest mage of all?
Her ears rung. Her vision blurred at the sides.
"LANCER!" She screamed, jumping down.
"How pitiful, Emiya Ritsuka. Not even worth feeling anything. Desperately clinging to everything you touch. You should have disappeared long ago." The red haired girl looked at him, fury in her eyes. She gripped her right wrist, and held up her command seals.
"I'll stop you, and send you to hell." She said, raising her arm. "By my Command Seal! Thrud, Ortlinde, come fort and destroy my enemy!" With that scream, all hell broke lose. No enemy was destroyed however. The only thing that she remembered after that was the feeling of being drained of everything, and a laughter.
Ritsuka Emiya woke up. She hadn't rested, not al all. That pit in her chest, the coldness in her lungs. Her ragged breathing. It was all back.
"So that's what happened." She muttered. She didn't feel like moving at all, but she had to get up. The meeting would be early, she knew how much Olga liked to get up early, and in the process wake everyone else up.
The girl grabbed her phone. It was six' O clock on the morning. She calculated she had about fifteen minutes of sleep left. She wanted to use them, then get ready.
The door opened, and the lights turned on, white filling her vision for a brief moment. In came Ritsuka Fujimaru, looking almost the same as yesterday, except much cleaner and well kept.
"Morning, Ritsu." She said out of instinct.
"Morning. How are you feeling?" He asked, taking the same seat as yesterday, in the same position.
"Better. But I didn't sleep well." She said, rubbing her face.
"Me neither." He said.
"Nightmares?" She asked. A normal person would have those, after the hell that was Fuyuki and London. But Fujimaru was stronger than he looked, in her opinion.
"More like memories, I think."
"Memories?"
"Yeah. There was a girl who lived her whole life in a single room until, a man came to get her? Something like that. It's so fuzzy now."
"Maybe they are memories from your bond with Mash? Masters and Servants often share memories when sleeping." She explained. Her bond with the Valkyries meant she often dreamt of them, or their journeys through endless battlefields.
"Oh, I didn't know that. I've been having weird dreams while not on the singularities, so I stopped worrying about it. Does it happen to you?" At this, Emiya raised an eyebrow.
"Sometimes I dream of… battlefields. It's like, I'm flying over them."
"Damn. I hope it's at least nice."
"War is not nice, Ritsu."
"I know. I meant as… like… not bloody or ultra dark."
"I'll trade you servants if you want to see a battle so much." She said with sarcasm.
"Nnnno thanks, I'm good." he answered, looking away.
"Really? I'd have no problem."
"I'm fine."
A silence fell upon them. She didn't like silences. She had to break the ice, the only way she knew.
"So you just came to check on me? I thought you already had Mash in your heart." She said with a grin. Flustered, Fujimaru looked away.
"Sh-Shut up! I was just told to come tell you of the meeting." He said, crossing his arms. "Can't I care for a friend?" He asked. She looked at him for a moment, stunned. Friends? They were partners, work buddies, they teased each other, watcher their backs. She had even comforted him after Singularity F. But she was hurting too at the time. Did that make them friends? Just because they spent time together trying to save humanity?
Regardless, the girl appreciated it. Fujimaru was refreshing, a normal person in her insane world. Like a small island in the ocean. She blushed, then shook those thoughts away. She needed to get away from that topic.
"So you want to be my friend huh? How cute." She said, waking up. Teasing always worked.
He asked said, looking away with is face slightly red.
"Well… Mind leaving while I get dressed?" She asked. The boy nodded, and left the room. She found her clothes folded neatly in a dresser beside her bed. Her Chaldea Issue mystic code, it was burned and ragged, but usable. She would have to ask Da Vinci for repairs. When she picked it up, something fell from one of its pockets. A bright red pendant. A gift from her father.
She quickly picked it up, and turned it in her hand, looking for scratches. It was a precious gift. There were so many memories in it. If it got damaged, she didn't know what she would do.
Luckily, it was fine, so she stowed it away. Now dressed and ready, she stepped into the hallways of Chaldea once more. She felt sore, but hoped it would go away.
The soreness did not go away.
The halls of Chaldea were not exactly bustling, but they were more active than usual, with staff coming and going from place to place. She wondered what was happening. She could not get a feel for her servant, no matter how much she concentrated.
After a few more meters, she reached the control room. It looked just as always, overlooking the Rayshift bay where Chaldeas was located. In the centermost console, slightly above the others used by normal command room staff, sat Olga, Romani, Da Vinci, Fujimaru and Mash in a manner similar to a round table, without the table.
"We've been waiting, you know." Said Olga Marie, tapping her fingers while her arms were crossed. The death glare of the Animusphere got old fast, and now Emiya Ritsuka just rolled her eyes around whenever it came her way.
"You make a patient walk all the way here and then have the gall to complain? Jeez." She said, taking a seat offered by Mash.
"Okay, let's not get feisty for now. You can fight each other later. We can even make bets." Said Da Vinci with a smile. "Now, to the topic at hand."
"Solomon. The King of Mages." Said Mash. Any hostility between Olga and Emiya died, and both women took their seats.
"So he created the singularities. And with that is incinerating humanity." Said Fujimaru, his tone somber.
"That's correct. But we don't know how." Added Da Vinci.
"Or why." Said Emiya.
"He said it himself. It's fun, or something twisted like that." Said Fujimaru.
"But there has to be a reason. If not, he wouldn't be a heroic spirit." Said Emiya.
"Emiya is right. The real Solomon was an agent of God, a king who rules according to his visions of the Past, Present, and Future. Unless God ordered him, I doubt he would destroy the world." Said Romani with passion.
"You really seem to know your stuff about Solomon Romani. Who would know." Said Da Vinci with a wink. At this, the doctor looked away with embarrassment.
"It's just an interest of mine. No big deal, really." He said.
"At least it's not an internet idol. But you are still far too introverted." Added Olga.
"Right, but, if this really is Solomon, and he really is in a Caster Class container then, he was either summoned by the world, or by a Master." Said Da Vinci.
"But… Servant's can't survive without a contract right? How could he have escaped?" Asked Fujimaru.
"Well, he IS the top dog when it comes to Magic. Maybe he found a way." Said Emiya, there was more she wanted to say, but she held off. Sadly, Fujimaru noticed.
"Or…" He said, edging her to go on.
"Maybe he got incarnated. I read the grail was able to incarnate a servant in one of the Grail Wars of Fuyuki." Said Emiya.
"But… In none of the five Grail Wars was Solomon ever summoned. It would have been reported. He would have won without trouble!" Protested Roman. He had a point. But that was not the problem.
Ritsuka looked at Olga. She was fidgeting in her seat, looking away and not talking as much as she usually did. She knew. But would she spill it out? The red haired master doubted it. She was still a Magus, she would keep her secrets to the grave, or until cornered. Ritsuka Emiya had no such reservations. She would not keep secrets. She would lie about unimportant things like names or stories but never about something that could jeopardize the world.
"There were not five grail wars. There was one more. Isn't that right, director?" Said Emiya, looking directly at Olga Marie. The older woman froze, and everyone else, including Da Vinci looked at her with bewilderment.
"Director?" Asked Fujimaru. He sounded hurt. Cornered, Olga looked everywhere but their faces. But there was no escape. And so, Marie took a breath and assumed the straight position she used for lecturing and commanding.
"It's true. But it wasn't a grail war, not a standard one at least." She said, voice grave.
"What do you mean?" Asked Mash, who had been quiet during the entire exchange.
"You see, the Fuyuki Grail, created by human hands, needed to recharge mana naturally from it's surrounding for at least a hundred years in order to summon the Heroic Spirits that would be returned to it. That's how it grants wishes. Unfortunately, the 4th and 5th grail wars had no real winners, and no wishes were truly granted. Thus, it didn't need so many years to recharge." Explained Olga. Emiya gritted her teeth. That was not the truth, not the one she knew. But she still wanted to hear it out.
"How interesting. Like not using a charged battery. So another Grail War was fought?" Asked Da Vinci, rubbing her chin.
"Not precisely. Upon learning about it's status, and the decadence of the Founding Families, the Mage's Association wanted to retrieve the grail for it's use. However, the El-Mellois believed it to be too dangerous, and so set fort to dismantle it, along with the Tohsakas, the Edelfelts, and a few other minor families." Upon saying that, everyone looked at Emiya.
"I was twelve at the time. I knew nothing." She clarified.
"The mage's association wouldn't stand for it. So my father, Marisbury Animusphere, saw an opportunity. He had been working on Chaldea for years but could never secure funding. So he made a deal. He would retrieve the Grail, in return for a blank check. The Association agreed, and along with the Matous, the Einzbern's and the Wodimes, set forth to fight in Fuyuki." She said.
"The reports on the war itself are, muddy. Even I couldn't find anything, other than the fact that my father summoned an extremely powerful Caster servant with a catalyst. One of the ten rings of King Solomon." She said.
"So… Who won?" Asked Fujimaru.
"No one. During the last days of the war, my father figured out the grail was corrupted." She said. The temperature in the room seemed to drop for everyone.
"Corrupted?" Asked Romani.
"Indeed. Turns out, the Einzberns summoned an Avenger class servant in the 3rd war and, upon it's defeat, it corrupted the grail upon it's return. After that, any wish upon it would only bring destruction to the world." She said. Emiya looked around the room. Fujimaru and Mash were horrified, Da Vinci was impassive and Romani looked sullen.
"My father stopped it. For his heroic actions, he was further celebrated, and thus Chaldea stopped being a pipe dream. We could say that it was thanks to him, and his servant Solomon, that we are able to prevent Humanity's Demise." Said Olga. With that, she relaxed, apparently having nothing more to say.
But she had. Emiya Ritsuka had many things to say.
"Director." Emiya said. She stood up, looking at the woman with a glare of glass. Her hands were white from how hard she was squeezing them, and she clenched her teeth the hardest she had in life. Yet nothing could hold her back. "You are full of shit."
"What?" Asked the Director in a squeaky voice. Emiya didn't scream, or raise her voice, but everyone looked at her like she was.
"Your father didn't know shit. I guarantee you that. You know why my Mother wanted to dismantle it? Huh?" She asked. She was saying it to Olga, but she might as well have been talking to everyone else.
"Because she knew. Because my father knew. All of them knew. They were the heroes, they were the ones who…" her anger died in her throat. All those memories came back, memories she had suppressed. Her eyes stung, but she had to continue. "…your father is a liar. You are a liar. You are just another little heiress who got everything she wanted from her father, while the real heroes died and were ridiculed and persecuted. THAT is the truth." She said. Her chest hurt. The Director just looked back at her. Not with malice, or anger, or pity, or contempt. She did not know that stare. But she could see her amber eyes were glassy.
"I know." Said the woman, voice quiet. "I always knew. That's my burden as Director. As heir. To undo the evils of my father. To recover the honor that was thrown away for the sake of victory. If this Solomon was brought forth by my father. Then I will stop him. I swear that, to all of you." She said, looking at the surrounding members.
Ritsuka Emiya could not take this. She wanted to hate her, strike her, curse her. But she could not. Because she didn't deserve it. All her anger, all her sadness was misdirected. A part of her knew that, yet another screamed at her to do something.
She didn't know exactly what happened after, but she left; walking away into the halls of Chaldea, trying to lose herself.
She looked at the people in her living room. Beside her, auntie Luvia. Across her in the large couch were her other aunt Reines, and Lord El-Meloi II, or Waver Velvet as her mom called him at times. The latter was clad in bandages, his right arm and leg in casts. Finally, her father, Shirou Emiya was in a wheelchair in a third space to their left.
She couldn't bear to look at her dad for longer than a few seconds. He was injured, his orange hair was almost completely white except for a patch of orange near his right eye, and his skin had turned brown in some parts of his arms and chest, circuit patterns of the same color jolting out of the patches. The worst part were his eyes. They looked dead, and he didn't seem to be watching anything.
"Where's mom?" She asked.
"I'm afraid your mom is, not coming back, young Ritsuka." Said El-Meloi, voice raspy, as if he had trouble breathing. She gasped. Her mother told her so many times, that she may not return. All those times, she had lied, she had come back. This time, she told her she would be back before she knew it, and she didn't.
Tears filled her eyes, and she felt someone hug her.
"How?" She asked. Waver closed his functioning eye and sighed.
"It's a long story. But she died a hero, or something like that." Said Reines, smiling all the way. She did not like it, she did not like it at all. She looked at her father.
"Dad?" He did not respond. He didn't even look her way.
"It's gonna be fine sweetie. Shero just needs some time." Said Luvia, still hugging her. Sobbing alongside her.
"Yes. But now there are other matters to discuss. More importantly, the succession." Said Waver. But his words became a jumbled mess. She wanted her mom to come back. She wanted to show her her magecraft. She wanted her to train her more.
"Emiya?"
"Emiya!" She heard a scream behind her. Looking back trough her tear stained eyes, she saw Fujimaru.
"Ritsu?" She asked.
"Emiya…" he repeated, panting from his running. She looked at him, he looked at her, but they did not say anything. Tears streamed down her face.
"I'm sorry." She blurted out.
"Why?" He asked.
"Because, no matter what, I always drive people away. I should not have said any of that. I did not have the right." She said in between sobs.
"But that is not true." He answered. She looked at him in the eyes. They were like two teal glasses.
"Your anger in justified. If my parents did the right thing but someone hid the truth I…" he said, looking at his hands. "You told me we were in this together. So I'm not leaving you alone, not for a second, no matter how annoying you may get, or how angry. Neither will I leave the Director, or Mash." He said. She could not do anything anymore, except lean in and hug him.
"We'll defeat him. All of us. Together" He said into her hair. They stood there, two Master alone together.
A/N: Hi everyone. Thanks for reading! Anyways, it was really hard to write this chapter, and I know that somewhere I may have screwed something up, but I'm proud nonetheless. So as you can see, this chapter mainly focuses on Ritsuka Emiya's past. Also the Grail Dismantlement war that has been alluded to many times in Type-Moon interviews. So this could be called a fusion between the F/GO and Fate/Stay Night UBW timelines.
I did not know how jewel magecraft works exactly, and believe me I tried looking it up. But I found little so I made something up.
In the previous chapter it was pointed out that there was a plot hole which is that Olga called Gudako "Emiya" despite not knowing. I apologize for that, she was not supposed to. Gudako is supposed to be called Toshaka by acquaintances and Emiya by close friends. That's how she rolls at least.
So after this, I'll probably go straight to Camelot, and back to Fujimaru's POV. From there on I'll try to adapt the story in it's totality, no more interludes.
So until then, I wish everyone well. I'll try to update once a week. Please tell me your thoughts and if you have any advice I'm more than happy to listen and adapt it. I write to improve after all.