Friends Like These

Upon reaching the Tohsaka estate, the family's last member rushed to her Workshop and began double-checking her stocks of prana-charged jewels. For her, rubies resonated the best, and a few had been scheduled for use as an additional kick in the summoning ritual. Rin quickly replaced them with some better ones - she had calculated the best time for the summoning, and thus originally planned to carry out the ritual several days from now. Circumstances meant that matching the hourly time would have to do, so the difference would have to be made up with via gems.

As Rin brought the last additions to the adjoining room with the summoning circle, the phone out in the hallway rang, making her jump. She quickly made her way to it and answered. "Tohsaka house."

It was Kirei, the person most likely to be calling in the first place, but also the last person she wanted to converse with at the moment. "Ah Rin, the Grail has decided to accelerate the schedule. Have you summoned your Servant yet?"

"I'll be over to register soon enough," she replied crisply, trying to avoid giving him the pleasure of imagining her squirming at the thought of being crushed by a Saber. Not that he should know about that, even as Overseer.

"About that," Kirei simply continued in his annoyingly flat tone, which sounded even worse over a phone-line. "I'm suspending the need for a formal registration. The Grail is able to control the War fully in any case."

"What, why is that? Did something happen?"

"I've been reliably informed that a Master and Servant have already been killed. As you might imagine, it wouldn't be fair if people died just outside my doors."

Rin shivered a bit at this revelation. I don't want to be the next one killed. "Which class?"

"Rider."

Saber must have done it, no wonder she was wounded. Rin immediately upgraded her estimation of Emiya. Also, the need to summon her Servant without delay. "Got it." She hung up before Kirei could say anything further. There was some time before the ideal hour.

Hopefully I can get one of the other two Knight classes, otherwise Emiya's Saber will flatten me.

Smirking, Kirei didn't spare Rin another thought as he dialed the number for the Matou's house.

"Hello? Ah Sakura-san right? Please put your grandfather on the line for me. Tell him the priest will be brief."

Upon recieving Rin's offering of mana, the Grail began preparing a Servant container for the Heroic Spirit... Alaya for some reason decided not to allow it to utilize a copy of the Counter Guardian it had picked. Discarding that option, the Grail simply began checking other potential candidates. A large number were too 'close' or already had their classes represented. Finally, it settled on another Archer, though perhaps through some sort of spite, picked one much like its original choice that it could copy without needing permission.

Back in the Tohsaka mansion, summoning room, Rin stared blankly at the Servant that had appeared, after an odd delay, in front of her. While she was of course glad that the summoning hadn't failed, her red-and-black Archer Servant was even smaller than Emiya's Saber. I'm screwed.

Archer looked at her with cheerful recognition, though Rin had certainly never met her before. "I guess I owe you for a lot of things. It'd be rude to just say goodbye, so I'll pay you back."

Rin blinked at the sudden bite at the end before Archer continued speaking. For her own satisfaction, doubtless. "Yep, I'm sure you'll find me useful. After all, aren't big sisters always better?"

"You're smaller than me."

"I can stomp on you if you want?"

"No, wait. About that. We're in a bit of a fix, so while it's sudden, we need to get moving. Like now."

"A fight already? What's all this about?"

Rin was halfway down the hallway before she finally replied with a resigned sigh. "We're going to beg for our lives. I'll explain along the way."

"... so that's pretty much the situation."

Hair whipping in the wind, Rin was glad that Masters could speak telepathically with their Servants. They were making good speed, and though it was rather awkward to be carried by someone half your size, she ignored it studiously.

"I see. Oni-..oh, is this the place?"

"That's right. How did you know where Emiya lived?"

"Basic geographical knowledge comes with being an Archer-class, Master."

"O-Of course, I knew that. The Grail can be rather inconsistent, though." Archer just nodded her agreement.

"Wait, don't just jump down in front of his door, let's stop a block or two away and walk in so he won't panic and attack or something."

"Well thought," Archer didn't miss how Rin's first priority on getting back on her own two feet was to check her clothes and hair, and snickered. The magus didn't notice though, probably because she wasn't looking out for it, or was distracted by the small task.

"Master, I can't do anything about the Boundary Fields. Though I have some Magic Resistance, it won't extend to you."

"Oh, Emiya-san isn't... wait I guess he must be a magus. Well in any case he shouldn't be trained enough to stand against me and my jewels, but obviously you'll have to take care of Saber if it comes down to combat."

During her first visit earlier in the night, Rin had assumed that any defenses would have been old ones from the time Emiya Kiritsugu was in residence there. Pausing near the door, she noticed that the estate did not have the usual mundane-repelling field up. It felt oddly threatening, as though the house's new owner knew it might tip off someone... like a clueless magus who blundered in.

She definitely wasn't hesitating right on his doorstep. Rin firmly pressed the doorbell, though unlike before she only did so once. Footsteps, unmasked by a sound-proofing field, could be heard as someone, presumably Emiya, approached the door. Rin hurriedly stepped away somewhat from the door, as Archer took her place just in case.

The door opened. "Tohsaka-s... huh?" Emiya paused and took a moment to notice who was standing behind his unexpected guest. "Is she with you?" he asked delicately.

"Yes, can we come in?" she replied quickly.

As Rin closed the door behind her, Shirou was already making his way to the kitchen, his automatic reaction to guests being to prepare some tea for them. However, as Rin and her Servant made to follow him, this plan was interrupted by Sasaku jumping around the corner, between Shirou and the other two. With her sword in hand.

Hearing Rin's gasp, Shirou turned around just in time to see two shortswords flash into being in the shortest girl's hands as she took a studied stance.

"Whoa, whoa, Sasaku, don't! That's Tohsaka, she went to get help."

(Sasaku)

This was very bad. Judging from how the enemy Servant immediately went for swords, she was probably the War's actual Saber. Unlike Cu Chulainn earlier, this one was all seriousness. She chose her next, frustrated, words carefully, realizing she hadn't taught Shirou how to speak telepathically with her.

"You didn't mention she was a magus, or a Master."

"I didn't know."

"I'm right here," Tohsaka said, annoyance clear in her voice. "Archer, stand down. We're not here to fight."

Sasaku waited for just a moment before sheathing her weapon. It was unfortunate, but as it was part of a "set" with the dress she had on, it wasn't possible to dismiss one without also dismissing the other.

(Rin)

Even standing behind her Servant as she was, Rin took a step back when a rather bloodied Saber appeared with a drawn weapon. The air turned heavy, though no one else seemed to have difficulty breathing but her. Actually, did Servants need to breathe, they didn't need to eat or sleep either?

"Archer, stand down. We're not here to fight."

She could have given the order telepathically but that would defeat the point of trying to de-escalate the situation. Wounded or not, a Saber would have quite the advantage in such close and enclosed quarters.

Shrugging, Archer dematerialized her weapons, though for Servants such things were only a thought away. Still, Rin felt it easier to breathe when Saber Sasaku, followed suit.

"Emiya, your Servant looks terrible." Shirou took a look before pushing Sasaku down the side corridor, leaving Rin and Archer to themselves for the moment. The pair quickly moved to the dining table and sat down with outward calm.

"Archer, this is awfully late for it, but I haven't asked your True Name yet."

"I was wondering when you would get around to that," Archer was practically laughing, even telephatically. "It's complicated, but please call me Kuro."