A/N: Yes, this fic still lives! Sorry all, managing 3 ongoing stories is tough, but fun! If you're wondering, the other story on this site is "Loud House: Enter the Black Vortex". Gotten a lot of faves and follows, and is a harem story of our favorite white haired male protag!

Anyway, allow me to wish you all a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Holidays, whatever! Just have a fun with your friends and family! This will probably be the only upload for this week as the 25th is my B-Day and I'll probably be taking a break this week! Now for the Q/A!

Cybarhack99: There will be only 2 Alters, the reasons for that will be made clear down the line. Or if you're deep into the Fate Lore, you'll get where I'm going with this.

ServantSanta: Oh I'm sure you'll figure out who Assassin and Caster are...read on and see.

Cross177: To answer your question on who Berserker is, see Cybarhack99's review.

You all seem to think that our Lancer is Artoria. Is it Artoria? Or someone who has a similar appearance of blonde with green eyes? Time fot find out!

Lincoln groaned as he rolled about in his bed, he felt sore all over, but thankful he was in his bed. His mind wouldn't stop replaying the events of last night, which caused him to thrash in his sleep a few times, but somehow, he managed to calm down and sleep comfortably. He dreamed he was back in her arms, in the warm and loving embrace of Lynn.

She was a tomboy, rough and true, but when they were alone, she would only show her girly and more comforting side to him. Taking on both the aspects of a big sister and a lover. When Lincoln finally came to, he realized that he wasn't dreaming, he was being embraced. He was currently lying on his left side, and an olive skinned arm was draped over him.

Wait…Lynn was light skinned…

His senses were awakening as he now became aware of a weight behind him, added to that, there were a couple of somethings pressed against his back. Lincoln gulped as he dared to turn his head, part of him was hoping it was someone else, but the thirteen-year-old was fairly certain he knew who it was.

His vision was filled with black, messy locks of hair, and the freckled face of his best friend, Ronne Anne Santiago. Lincoln blushed as his head returned back to its original position, he carefully looked under the covers to make sure that there was nothing out of the ordinary. He was wearing his pants – that was a good sign. He didn't have a shirt on, not too bad.

Lincoln had had sex before with Lynn, they didn't take it too far, but he knew what the feeling of having done the deed and then waking up after felt like, and Lincoln wasn't feeling that. Also, a good thing. Lincoln wasn't sure of Ronnie Anne's attire right now, but he hoped she was wearing all her clothes, but knowing her…

Ronnie Anne began to stir.

Shit!

The Latina gave a loud yawn as she pulled back on her arm, rolling Lincoln onto the side at the same time. Now Lincoln could see what she was wearing, and just as he suspected, it was a plain white tank top, and apparently she wasn't wearing a bra either. Ronnie Anne began to open her eyes and Lincoln was starting to sweat.

What would she think if she saw them like this?

"Lincoln you asshole! I saved your life and you tried to feel me up?!"

"Lincoln, you son of a bitch, I hope whatever you did to me last night was worth it! Quetz, tear him apart!"

"Lincoln, you dirty boy, I didn't think you liked me like that~"

Lincoln didn't know which of those scenarios scared him more. Well, he was about to find out as the dark brown eyes of Ronnie Anne opened and looked upon him. Lincoln moved until his back hit the wall, putting up his hands as if he were being robbed.

Ronnie Anne sat up, her bedhead was kind of cute, and from what Lincoln could tell, she was in her underwear.

CRAP! Lincoln thought. "Ronnie Anne, I swear on Lynn's grave, I didn't do anything to you last night!"

Ronnie Anne rubbed her eyes as she gave an annoyed look at her bedmate. "No shit Sherlock. We both passed out."

Lincoln blinked. "Wait, what?"

"Ugh, you don't remember? We were all so exhausted after that fight last night, you told me I could bunk in your room. You offered to sleep up in the attic, but I said 'No, I'm not kicking you out of your room'. We were all too tired to argue about it so you and I just shared the bed." Ronnie Anne looked at herself and then to Lincoln. "In case you're wondering, no we did not screw each other, even if we tried, we would've passed out before we got to any part of the good stuff."

Lincoln was still blushing, but he was relieved to hear that he hadn't betrayed Lynn. "Oh thank god…!"

Ronnie Anne raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Wow, would sleeping with me really be that horrible of a thing for you?"

"W-What?! No! That's not what I mean – I mean, you are attractive! Really attractive! But, no, that's not what I meant!" Lincoln clarified.

Ronnie Anne feigned hurt as she said, "You know, I do act like a tomboy, but I'm still a girl, and even I feel like being told I'm sexy or cute…"

Lincoln was feeling bad right now. "No, y-you are sexy and cute! I just meant that…that…!" Lincoln stopped as he noticed Ronnie Anne giggling. "Ronnie Anne!"

"Hahahahahaha! Sorry, Lame-O, but it was just the perfect setup!" Ronnie Anne gave a light punch to his arm. "Still, if there was anybody I wouldn't worry about jumping me in the middle of the night, it'd be you."

Lincoln sighed heavily, relieved that Ronnie Anne was not mad at him, and that he didn't do anything to betray Lynn. The snow capped teen sat down more comfortably and looked at Ronnie Anne. It had been a long while since he last saw her, but he had to admit, she had become quite the cute and beautiful young woman. She had a bit of lean muscle, much like his own, but that still didn't take away from her feminine charm.

Ronnie Anne was taking this time to look over her old friend as well. Lincoln wasn't the scrawny little nerd he was before, puberty seemed to finally kick in, giving him some noticeable lean muscle, the baby fat around his face had gone and gave him a slightly more mature look to his face.

"It's good to see you again, Linc."

"I'm happy to see you, Ronnie Anne."

"Buenos días, niños!" At that moment, Quetzalcoatl popped into existence in Lincoln's room, scaring both teens and forcing them to jump. "I thought it best to wake you up before –!" The Aztec goddess stopped and then smirked. "Oh my, perhaps I was interrupting?"

The grate to Lincoln's room opened and out popped Lucy. "I'm sorry, Lincoln, she just left suddenly and I tried to – GASP!"

The sudden scare of Quetz ended up making Ronnie Anne hop, and ended with her landing on his lap, with Lincoln's hands wrapped around her. Lucy looked at this, her pale face turning red as a rose as she looked upon the scene.

"L-Lincoln…brother…w-why are you…?! W-With, her?!"

Ronnie Anne and Lincoln finally took notice of their positions and both stated, "THIS ISN'T WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE!"

After a lengthy explanation, the two teams met up in Lucy's attic room. Quetz was sitting next to Ronnie Anne, while Lancelot sat between Lincoln and Lucy, the latter had her arms crossed over her chest, giving the Latina a scrutinizing glare from behind her bangs.

Ronnie Anne could feel Lucy's piercing gaze trying to bore a hole through her skull, and in truth she couldn't blame the ten-year-old. Even though Lincoln trusted her, looking at it from her side, she was the enemy, and neither of them knew exactly why Ronnie Anne had decided to join the Holy Grail War. A part of Ronnie Anne was giddy, eagerly awaiting the moment when she could tell them the reason, which she was more than certain was the exact same one.

Lincoln patted his knees and decided to break the tense silence. "So…Ronnie Anne…I'm just going to address the elephant in the room. Why–?"

"Why are you participating in the Holy Grail War?!" Lucy interrupted.

Ronnie Anne didn't much appreciate the tone in which Lucy asked that question, but she wasn't about to hold it against her. The Latina teen smiled broadly as she said, "The same thing as you two, I'm fighting to bring back Lynn Loud Jr."

Lincoln and Lucy's mouths dropped wide open, their brains seemingly seizing up when Ronnie Anne said what she said.

"H-How did you know…?" Lincoln asked.

A sad smile formed on Ronnie Anne's face as she explained, "It wasn't hard to piece it together when I saw you guys last night. The Holy Grail can grant any wish a person desires, even bringing back someone from the dead, soul and all. I had no doubt in my mind last night that that's why you were out there, why you're fighting."

Lucy shook herself out of her stupor. "How do we know that's not just some convenient cover! Why would you want to fight to bring back someone else if you could have anything you wanted?!"

Ronnie Anne sighed. "Contrary to popular belief, I'm not as selfish as some people think I am or appear to be."

"That's true," Lincoln commented.

It was true, after the whole "Egg Baby Project", Lincoln saw a whole different side to Ronnie Anne, she wasn't just some rough, tomboy, extreme skater, she was also nurturing, kind, loving, and thoughtful. Ronnie Anne put on the façade of a tough person, but deep down she was just as tough but also a nice person.

"Look, I knew Lincoln was hurting, all of you were hurting. Lori and Bobby are more than likely going to get married one day, and that makes you guys family, and we don't turn our back on familia. When I found out there was a chance I could bring back part of that family, I jumped on it," said Ronnie Anne.

"Sí, it's true, this little Chica here's strong feelings to help her dear friend are what called me to this world," said Quetz as she ruffled Ronnie Anne's hair.

"Quetz, stop it, you're embarrassing me!"

Lancelot smiled upon hearing this. "This is wonderful news, Lincoln, it seems we have been granted an ally in our quest."

For his part, Lincoln was speechless, out of all the things he imagined would happen during this War, gaining an ally in his childhood friend, and who was working towards the same wish as him, was something he never expected. Now it seemed that wishing back Lynn wasn't as hard as it was going to be. They'd definitely have the advantage against any Servant and Master, with Ronnie Anne's Rider and their Lancelot, they could easily overcome any obstacle.

Although, Lincoln's smile was small, because they didn't know the real reason why they were fighting to bring back Lynn, not just to make their family whole again, but also because Lincoln wanted his lover back. The snow capped teen glanced to his Saber, remembering a conversation he had with Lucy.

"What do you mean you won't want to tell him, Lincoln?"

"Look, Lancelot's a noble knight of the Round Table! What do you think he'll think of me, his Master, if he knew the real reason why I want to bring my sister back to life just so I can continue my forbidden relationship with her!"

"That's not the only reason why you're bringing her back."

"I know, but that's the one reason he'll latch onto! If Lancelot decides to not fight for us anymore, we're done! We'll have lost our only shot! I may have the Command Seals, but I don't want to use them up for something like that. So…please just keep this part a secret."

Lincoln chuckled internally at the circumstances. And now I have to lie to Ronnie Anne about my reasons…

Ronnie Anne noticed the sad smile on her friend's face and asked, "Hey, Linc, are you okay?"

Lincoln snapped himself out of his thoughts and nodded, smiling more earnestly this time. "Yeah, sorry, it's just I never thought things would end up like this, you fighting for the same thing we are."

Ronnie Anne reached across and placed her hand on his shoulder. "Believe it, 'cause now you guys have us." She then looked to Lucy and frowned a little. "If the Duchess of Darkness over there doesn't curse me first."

Lincoln looked to his left and saw that Lucy was still giving Ronnie Anne the stink eye, much to his disappointment. "Luce, cut it out, Ronnie Anne's on our side."

Lucy was still skeptical of this whole thing, it seemed like an amazing coincidence that Ronnie Anne came to their rescue, and just so happens to want to wish for the same thing they do. Well, relatively speaking, Lincoln was doing it to bring back his lover and make their family whole again, Lucy wanted her best friend back, and her family to be unbroken. Ronnie Anne…even if she wanted do this to bring back Lynn for the sake of family, Lucy doubted that the Latina knew the real reason why Lincoln was in such pain over her death, or the second reason why he wanted her back.

That was the thing that made her weary of this team up, the moment that Ronnie Anne found out that Lincoln was in love with Lynn, Lucy knew that Ronnie Anne would end their alliance. Lucy understood their love, in more ways than one, but there was no way an outsider would understand, no, she'd definitely condemn him and probably order Rider to kill him and her to prevent them from having their wish granted.

All kinds of thoughts were entering the raven haired girl's head, all of them of scenarios where Ronnie Anne would betray them in a crucial moment, that the girl her brother believed to be his friend would end up finding out about his secret and backstab them the moment the last opposing Servant and Master was vanquished. All of these thoughts swarmed her, made her heart race with worry and anxiety. Yes, this was a fight to the death, alliances were fickle things. The best thing to do was to just end Ronnie Anne before–

"Lady Lucy," Lancelot spoke as he gently placed his hand upon her shoulder. The action snapped Lucy out of her downward spiral, forcing her to look up at the Knight of the Lake. "I think it's wise to have Lady Ronnie Anne and Rider join our battle. While I am confident in my abilities, having another team to coordinate and fight alongside will go a long way towards our victory."

Lancelot did make sense, yes, Ronnie Anne and her Servant would grant them a higher chance of winning this War, but there was one question that needed answering before Lucy could even start to consider trusting her.

"I need to know, when the last of our enemies is defeated, and there's only the two of us left standing…what will you do?" Lucy asked with all due seriousness.

Ronnie Anne looked to Quetz for a moment. That was a good question, both of them had the same goal, the same wish, did it matter which one of them was left standing? No, it did, it went towards how much the two Loud siblings could trust Ronnie Anne in this fight.

"My I say something?" Quetz asked.

Ronnie Anne nodded.

"In all honesty, little girl, I wouldn't mind trading blows with Saber here. After the impressive fighting skills he displayed, I have no doubt that he'd be a very fun battle," said Quetz with a shark toothed grin.

Lancelot grinned confidently at Quetz and said, "I wholeheartedly agree, your fighting technique is interesting, and one that I wouldn't mind exchanging blows with."

Quetz chuckled happily. "But, I can only speak for myself, if – no – when we are the last two standing. I would like to at least have a friendly match between us. However, if Ronnie Anne says so, I will dissolve our pact and bow out gracefully."

"Rider…you'd do that?" Ronnie Anne asked.

The Aztec goddess nodded.

Lucy glanced between the her brother and the girl before her, she could tell that her brother really wanted her to trust Ronnie Anne as much as he did, and in truth, she kind of wanted to. Having another Master and Servant on their side would dramatically increase their chances of winning the Holy Grail, but…

"If Lincoln trusts you…then I will, but I reserve the right to remain skeptical," said Lucy.

"Lucy," Lincoln began with a hint of annoyance in his voice.

"It's fine," Ronnie Anne interrupted. "It's her choice Linc, and honestly that's probably the best I can ask for right now."

"With, that being said, I think we should exchange the true names of our Servants, it's only fair," said Lucy.

Ronnie Anne and Lincoln took a moment to think about this. Revealing the true name of a Servant was valuable information, it could easily give an enemy the edge they needed to win. Since, whatever killed the Heroic Spirit in life, they were still susceptible to it even now. However, if they were forming an alliance, then it was only fair, plus, it would help them cover for the weaknesses – if any – of their partners during the coming battles.

"I have no problem giving my name," said Quetz.

"Neither do I, if it is alright with you, Lincoln," said Lancelot.

Ronnie Anne and Lincoln looked at each other, taking their Servant's words they nodded.

"Saber's name is Lancelot, Knight of the Lake, and Knight of the Round Table," said Lincoln.

Quetz whistled, impressed that a young mage could summon a renowned Heroic Spirit like him. Ronnie Anne was impressed as well, she knew of the tale of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, but she never thought she'd get to meet one of the actual knights.

"Damn…that's cool!" Ronnie Anne exclaimed with sincerity.

Lucy crossed her arms and said, "Now it's your turn."

Ronnie Anne stood up and proudly announced. "Louds, Rider's name is Quetzalcoatl!"

Lucy's jaw practically smashed through the floor when she heard that name. Quetzalcoatl, the Winged Serpent god of the Aztecs. The Ruler of the Sun, Ruler of the Morning Star, and of the storms and winds. No wonder she fought so strongly, she's not a Heroic Spirit, she's a Divine Spirit! Lucy looked back to Ronnie Anne with shock. H-How did she summon such a powerful god as a Servant?! We're screwed, Lancelot has no anti-divine Noble Phantasms, if they fought…No, wait, if Lancelot could get ahold of one of her Noble Phantasms then he could turn it against her…that's big if though.

Lincoln blinked for a few seconds as she looked from Ronnie Anne and back to Quetz. "Sorry, who?"

Lucy and Ronnie Anne both felt like they got sucker punched from hearing Lincoln utter that line.

"Are you kidding?! Quetzalcoatl is a deity!" Lucy stated.

"She's the god of the sun!" Ronnie Anne continued.

"Ruler of Venus!"

"She's a Divine Spirit!" The two girls ended together.

Quetz was chuckling at their reactions to Lincoln's obliviousness of her legend, and it wasn't like she could blame the young boy. Not many people delve into ancient mythology, some only have passing knowledge mainstream myths such as those of the Greeks, Romans, Vikings, and some of the Egyptian myths. So Quetz didn't hold it against him, but again, she did find it funny how Ronnie Anne and Lucy reacted. However, she did take in Lancelot's reaction, he actually smirked.

"I hope knowing that I am a god doesn't dissuade you from possibly battling me later down the line?" Quetz asked.

"Not at all, in fact, it makes it more interesting. I've faced many creatures and powerful beings, but a god is a new challenge, and one that a knight would be foolish to back down from," Lancelot answered.

Quetz smirk grew. "We're going to be best friends you and I!"

Meanwhile, Lincoln was still trying to get Lucy and Ronnie Anne to back off him a little, apologizing for being so uncultured in the ancient legends. Just then, everyone stopped when they saw the door to the attic drop down. The sound of footsteps rushing up the ladder alerted them, but it was too late.

"Linc, Luce, you two alright?! Please be up here, I knocked out waiting up but–!" Luna stopped when she saw not just her brother, sister, and Lancelot but also Ronnie Anne and a – admittedly hot looking – blonde woman sitting with them. "Uh…what the hell is going on here?"

Luna was glad that her little brother and sister had made it back in one piece this morning, however, what she didn't expect was to see Ronnie Anne there as well. When she asked why Ronnie Anne was there, Lincoln and Lucy explained that she was in fact a Master, like them.

The rocker of the family didn't know exactly how to take this. First her brother and sister tell her that they were going to fight in a death match to bring back their dead sibling, then come to find out that they almost did die last night, but then were saved by Ronnie Anne, who was also now a part of this craziness and was fighting for the same reason they were.

Luna needed to get out of the house, thankfully she had band practice today, so Sam came over and picked her up. The two seventeen-year-olds headed to the music hall, over the years, despite the death of her little sister, Luna had continued to pursue her love of music, forming a band that consisted of herself, Sam, and Molly.

They had gone through several names in a big brainstorm before finally settling on a name, SML Girls, using the first little of each of their names. Their band had a gig tonight and Luna needed to do something to get her mind off of those whole thing.

But, even as she tuned her guitar, Luna couldn't help but still worry about her siblings. She had no doubts that they were already out there, probably roaming around the town to look for another of these Master/Servant teams to take down. That also presented another fear to Luna, there were currently at least five other teams in their town, each of which probably had no qualms with killing innocent people, or using hostages to get what they wanted.

*twang.*

"Bloody hell!" Luna cursed as she realized she tightened the string too much and caused it snap.

Sam walked over to her girlfriend and asked, "Hey, babe, you alright?"

Luna put her guitar down and placed her face into her hands as she sighed heavily. "No…not in the least bit…"

Sam sat next to Luna and rubbed her back soothingly. "Maybe we should cancel the gig tonight, you looked really stressed. Do you wanna talk about it?"

Luna shook her head in the negative. "No, I kinda need this. There's just stuff goin' on at home."

"Is it about Lincoln and Lucy, again?"

"It involves them, yes."

"Did they ever tell you what was up with that whole thing in the woods?" Sam asked, remembering that tense night.

Luna put on a fake smile and said, "Oh, that, they were just doing some paranormal investigations stuff. You know how Linc loves that 'ARRGH!' show, and Lucy's all into the occult, so the two of them tried do hunt down some ghosts."

The blonde girl raised an eyebrow. "Luna, that was a stretch, even for you. Not that that's unlikely, but with all the seriousness and the looks on you and your kid brother and sister's faces, a lot more happened then you're telling me."

How could Luna tell her? Hell, even she hadn't full grasped it all, not even after seeing what she had already. How exactly was one supposed to tell their romantic partner that their town was ground zero for an epic war over a wish granting cup?

"Sorry, babe, but there's a just a lot of drama goin' on that I'm trying to figure out myself," said Luna.

Sam sighed but then gave her girlfriend a kiss on the cheek. "Just don't keep it bottled up inside too long, you know I'm here to help you. Whether it's to complain to or to comfort."

Luna smiled, she really didn't deserve her. "I know, and thanks. C'mon, let's practice."

The girl band trio hit the stage and began going through some of their songs, while they were doing so, neither of them noticed that they had an audience in the seats. That man was Torek Iselam, the theater was owned by his family, one of many little contributions they've made here and there. Despite the lyrics of the song he was hearing, the voice of the lead singer was absolutely filled with passion and raw emotion, it was actually quite beautiful. And judging by the distortion behind him, someone else was enjoying the singer's voice just as much.

"Keep it together, Assassin," said Torek.

"I know, I know~
But she sounds so beautiful,
So crystal clear~
How could anyone not be moved to tears~" Assassin sang.

Torek nodded. "I understand, and truly, she is a beauty, a diamond in the rough."

"Please allow me to mold her~
To bring her to the peak,
To sing so lovely that angels dare not speak~"

"We'll see, don't forget, what we're here for though, our true goal. Only then will your true wish be granted."

"Oh my Christine~"

Rosso had found an old building to set up her workshop. It was irritating to be in such a small town, the number of ingredients she needed to make her Etherlite was hard to find, but not impossible. Although, she would admit that the job would go a lot faster if her Servant wasn't a cackling clown.

"Would you please, shut up, Caster!"

Caster, her Heroic Spirit, the Servant that was called by the Holy Grail in answer to her summons, was a man about in his late to mid-twenties. He was pale white all over, wore an ornate black top hat, a blue jacket with a feathered cape, a red vest underneath the coat, green shorts, and purple stockings and black loafer shoes. His workshop was set up a few feet from where Rosso was, it was littered with mechanical parts, machines that resembled spiders, and pages that had words written in a different language. The man wore a bit of purple makeup that was done to make him look like a creepy clown.

"Oh, only until I don't find this funny, which won't be for a while!" Caster mocked.

Rosso wanted to use her Command Spell to force the madman to cease his laughter, but since she only had three of them, and given that Caster was unpredictable, they were better saved for a more crucial time. For instance, if he tried to kill her.

"Tell me, oh demon, what is it about my situation do you find funny?" Rosso dared ask.

Caster hopped over to where Rosso was working on her Etherlite and smiled wickedly. "Where do I begin? You lost everything, your home, fortune, your family, and have been forced to live on burrowed time with each body you inhabit. You've switched so many times that you don't even remember if you were a originally a boy or a girl."

"A body is just a husk, so long as my spirit and thoughts remain, it doesn't matter," said Rosso.

"All just to seek revenge on the Mage Society, the ones who ostracized you, made you into monsters. On a level I sympathize with that."

Rosso glanced at the mad clown, not sure if this being was ever able to feel sympathy for any creature, let alone another person. "So my life amuses you, but at the end of this, I'll have the last laugh over all of them."

"You know, I was wondering, why not forget the Holy Grail. If all you wanted to do was kill the mage families responsible for your family's slaughter, we could make a little trip to see them?" Caster suggested.

Rosso scoffed at the idea. "There's no guarantee that they'd be where I'd need them to be, even with your abilities. Second: winning the Holy Grail War, and making the wish will ensure that they are all done away with at the same time, as well as all their heirs."

Caster smiled evilly at his Master, he wasn't sure if they were going to be a good fit, but Caster supposed that he could indulge in his Master's whims, if for nothing else than to see where this little tragedy of a play ends.

"Regarding the battle last night, I suggest we take out Saber first."

Caster scowled at the mention of that Servant. There was something about him that he disliked. Perhaps it was because he looked so knightly, and fought so earnestly that it made him sick.

"Saber was able to turn Archer's own weapon against him just by grabbing it, whether that was a one off ability or something that he can do consistently is still unknown. What we do know, is that we can't directly attack him, or risk your Noble Phantasm being turned against you."

Caster cupped his chin as he thought about it. "Well, that would bee an annoying hindrance. What do you propose then?"

"Find out who that Master is, determine his weak points, and then kill him," said Rosso.

"I'm starting to think you'd have been better off with an Assassin rather than a Caster like myself.

Rosso tinkered with her bracelets, weaving together the Etherlite as she contemplated Caster's question. True, an Assassin would've been ideal. That Servant class didn't have that many strong Servants though, those that are strong enough to take on more high level Heroic Spirits were few and are difficult to summon, for Rosso, she needed one skilled in magecraft as she was, and had the same mentality as an Assassin.

"No, despite your eccentricities, you're the best match for my style of fighting," Rosso answered.

Caster smiled more broadly as he took off his top hat and bowed to Rosso. "Well then, please make this an entertaining War, my Master."

Earlier that day, Lucy had used a powder that she concocted to help influence the residents of the Loud House, thanks to that, and Lincoln's silver tongue, they were able to convince the rest of the sisters, and their parents, that having Ronnie Anne and Quetz over was planned, they also introduced Lancelot as "Lance" to the family as well.

Needless to say, Lynn Sr. had no objections to having Lance around, being a fan of all things British. Of course, his looks did earn him a loving glance from the rest of the Loud sisters, Luan, Lola, Lana, and even Lisa.

With that established, the two Servants could appear in and out of the house without having to hide in spirit form all the time. That being said, Lincoln decided to take a walk, partly to see if he could get a beat on the other Masters and Servants, and secondly because he needed some time to think about everything that happened this morning and last night.

Lincoln walked down his sidewalk, going in no particular direction. Beside him was Lancelot, having been given some normal clothes to wear, which consisted of a black t-shirt, blue jeans, and some brown loafers. The whole time they walked, Lancelot couldn't help but regard his Master with a little bit of worry, he could feel that Lincoln had something on his mind, but wasn't sure how to broach the subject.

"Are you troubled by Lady Ronnie Anne's appearance?" Lancelot asked.

Lincoln sighed. "Not really…I'm actually happy to have someone like her helping us out. One last enemy, and one step closer to getting Lynn back." Lincoln glanced up at his Saber and asked, "Do you think it's selfish of me to wish for something like this? To wish back someone to life instead of using the Grail's power to do something more noble?"

Lancelot crossed his arms and gave his Master a kind smile. "Tell me, Lincoln, what would be a more noble wish to you?"

"I…I don't know? World peace? End global warming? End starvation? End all racism and bigotry in the world?!" Lincoln tossed out.

"Well, those would be noble wishes, but why isn't wishing back someone whom you loved and whose life was unfairly cut short not just as noble as that?" Lancelot asked.

Lincoln's guilt was building under the gaze of Lancelot, making him feel less worthy of being the Master of a noble knight of the Round Table. "Because the only person it'll affect is me! It's not like Lynn's supposed to be the savior of the world or something like that!"

"How do you know that?"

"What?"

Lancelot stopped walking and stood there with Lincoln at his side. "Every life plays a part in the grand scheme of things. No one can see the measure of that life until it's at its end, so who's to say that your sister wasn't meant to do something extraordinarily important down the line? Whatever it is, small or great, every life impacts the world in one way or another. If she was meant to come back and cause a ripple in the world to lead something greater, well, only time tell. But first we must wish her back."

Lincoln smiled as the tension left him, at least a little. Lancelot had a point, there was no telling what Lynn could've become down the line, hell, there was no telling if their relationship would continue, but even if that were true, Lincoln wanted it to last as long as possible, he wanted her back to live her life, with or without him.

"Thanks, Lance," said Lincoln.

"Of course." Just then, Lancelot's body tensed as he looked straight ahead. "Lincoln, be on guard, I sense a Servant nearby."

Lincoln looked in the same direction as his partner, his hand hovering over the deck of enchanted playing cards in his holster. When he did look straight ahead, he was puzzled. Among the many people walking by, there was only one that Lincoln definitively knew, Carol Pingrey.

The young woman was almost a dead ringer for Lori if you weren't paying attention, it was one of the reasons Lincoln wanted her to play Lori for that family photo thing he tried to do back in the day. But as far as he knew, Carol was supposed to be on a trip or something in Europe, why was she here?

Wait, Lancelot said he sensed a Servant. Does…Does that mean…?

Carol stopped just a couple of feet before him, her gaze was one of reluctance, but she managed to put on a small smile for him. "H-Hey, Lincoln, long time no see."

"Y-Yeah, long time no see." Lincoln eased up a bit. "If you're here to see Lori, she's still in Great Lakes City with Bobby, she visits once in a while, but I don't think she's due back for a couple of weeks."

Carol shook her head. "That's fine, I really wasn't here for her." The young blonde glanced to her right and saw the tall man next to Lincoln. "Who's your friend?"

Lincoln stammered for a second and said, "Oh, this is Lance! Lance, this is a friend of my sister's, Carol Pingrey."

Lancelot forwent his alert demeanor, taking Carol's left hand gently, he then kissed the top of it and said, "It is a pleasure to meet you, Lady Carol."

Carol blushed a little. "Lincoln, you didn't say he was so polite and charming."

Lincoln rolled his eyes, Lincoln understood that it was just his chivalrous nature and politeness, but it was still annoying when he did it to his sisters or his friends who were girls.

"Lance, could that be short for…Lancelot?" Carol asked, her tone having the telltale signs of knowing.

Lancelot pulled back and Lincoln's body tensed up.

"I'd like to talk to you two, actually, there's someone else who'd like to see you as well, Lancelot," said Carol.

Lincoln narrowed his gaze an d asked, "When you say 'talk', do you mean talk, or…talk."

"The former, not the latter."

Lincoln glanced to Lancelot, he wasn't an experienced fighter, so in these cases he defaulted to Lancelot's judgement. Lancelot took a moment to assess Carol, she had openly affirmed she was a Master, and so far, the Masters of Lancer, Assassin, Caster, and Archer were unknown to them. If this Carol was the Master of Archer, then they could be in trouble.

"Very well, but allow us to pick the location," said Lancelot.

"If I may make a suggestion, there's a church not too far from here where we can talk," said Carol.

Lincoln cocked an eyebrow in confusion. "Why a church?"

"Churches are neutral ground, no battles are to take place on their properties. Since they are controlled by the Holy Church Organization, all mages are forbidden to conduct battle once there," Carol explained.

Lincoln didn't know much about mage society, so, unfortunately, all he had to go on was Carol's words and the small amount of trust he had for her through Lori.

"Lead the way."

Carol did, Lancelot was on high alert the whole way, his hand giving off a very faint glow, showing that he was ready to draw his weapon at any time should Carol or her Servant attack them. It was about a ten minute walk before they arrived at the church. Lincoln had passed by it several times with his family, while they did believe in God, some of them anyway. Admittedly they didn't attend services as much as they probably would've liked.

The church itself was a fairly old one, with a gothic design much like the churches in Europe. Gargoyles were placed at different parts of the turrets and overlooked some of the doorways. All three entered the church and saw a pastor at his alter, Carol nodded to the pastor and raised her right, showing him the Command Seals.

The pastor nodded and left the room, it was empty, with stain glass windows pouring in multicolored light from the suns rays. Carol, Lincoln, and Lancelot stood in the aisle, both staring each other down.

"Okay, you wanted to talk, so let's talk," said Lincoln.

Carol nodded. "Lancer, you can come out now."

Wispy strands of magical energy swirled around Carol's left. Little by little, the particles peeled back, revealing the Servant who had remained invisible up till now. She wore green pants and brown shoes, and a white blouse. Her blonde hair was cut short, and her green eyes stared directly at Lancelot.

Lancelot's eyes widened upon seeing this Servant, he knew her, he knew her very well. "Gareth…"

"It's been many years, Sir Lancelot, many years since Camelot…" Gareth spoke remorsefully.

Lincoln looked between the two Servants, he didn't know who this Servant was, but it was obvious that he knew her, she even said Camelot so she was from the same land as him. "Lancelot, who is she?"

Lancelot sighed. "This…is Sir Gareth, a fellow Knight of the Round Table."

"Wait, 'Sir Gareth'?" Lincoln didn't know that much about honorifics, but he knew enough through his dad and Luna that if a man was knighted they were awarded the title of "Sir" and if a woman was knighted it was "Dame", unless there was something about Gareth that he wasn't aware of. "Um…I…So…"

Carol smirked a little and asked, "Would like to check for yourself to see if she's a he?"

"M-M-Master!" Gareth blanched as she covered her chest and groin with her arms as if Lincoln would immediately pounce, she then shot Lincoln a death glare. "If you even think about doing that, I'll skewer you with my spear! Neutrality be damned!"

"Not if I use a Command Spell and make you comply," said Carol teasingly.

Gareth looked to her Master with a crimson blush on her face. "Master C-Carol, please don't!"

Lincoln put up his hands and shook them and his head dismissively. "No, no, that's fine! I don't need to do that at all! I can clearly see she's a girl!"

Gareth looked at the young boy and sighed, she feared that a Master of Lancelot would be a lecherous person and wouldn't think twice about forcing himself onto another woman. It was partly why she was against meeting up with Lancelot and his Master. However, now that she looked upon the thirteen-year-old, her opinion changed a little.

"Well, I guess your Master is more honorable than I thought, unlike some people I know," said Gareth as her gaze rested on Lancelot.

Lancelot said nothing as he stood there, making Lincoln wonder why he was taking that from her, even if she was a fellow knight of Camelot, they were comrades once, why such animosity?

"Please, Gareth, we're here to talk, not to fight." Gareth sighed heavily and then got into one of the pews and sat indignantly, refusing to look at Lancelot right now. "Please forgive her, she's a little…testy."

"It's fine, but what did you want to talk about?" Lincoln asked.

"Simply, Lincoln, I want you to give up on the Grail."

Lincoln crossed his arms and stared down Carol. "Sorry, that's not happening."

"Lincoln, please, I don't know what you're in this for, but it cannot be worth more than losing your life!" Carol pleaded. "You have a family, four older sisters who love you, and four younger ones who look up to you and need you there for them! I came here as a friend to you and to Lori, please stop now while you can."

Lincoln closed his eyes. "The wish I want granted is worth my life. A life for a life, I'm fighting to bring back my sister, Lynn!"

Carol paused, her eyes widening, at the same time Gareth glanced over her shoulder with interest.

"We lost her, and things haven't been the same since. Fate made a mistake that day, Carol, I was supposed to die!" He took a step forward, his step echoing in the tall ceiling of the cathedral. "But Lynn saved me and she lost her life because of me! I will bring her back!"

Carol didn't think that was his wish, she thought it might've been something petty, or some loftier goal, but no, it was something that even she couldn't deny. At least under normal circumstances.

Gareth, for her part, was moved a little. This young boy was willing to risk his own life to bring back his own kin, willing to wage war against others to see that wish come true. In some ways it reminded her of Lancelot, but it also had the same nobility as her King Artoria.

"Lincoln…" Carol whispered.

"Look…I don't know what wish you have for the Grail, but I have my wish too. But that doesn't mean that we have to be enemies. I'm pretty sure you were there, so you saw Berserker and Archer, they're really dangerous, and you probably know that Ronnie Anne's a Master too, right?"

"That young Hispanic girl? Yes, I do."

"She's fighting for the same reason I am."

Carol shook her head in disbelief, another Master was fighting for the same wish as Lincoln? And they were friends?

"Her Rider is strong, the four of us are fighting together. But if you fight with us, then we can put the odds in our favor, why not work with us?" Lincoln suggested.

Carol sighed. "And then what? When we're all three the last Masters standing, we'll have to fight each other. And let's be honest, Lincoln, if we manage to beat you and Lancelot, then your friend will just finish Gareth off. My wish and yours don't align, no matter what, I'll end up losing."

Lincoln couldn't deny that, it was a bit unfair. With only two out of the three having the same goal, Carol had no chance of winning. Sure, they'd all three make an unstoppable trio, but in the end, if Lancelot and Quetzalcoatl tag teamed Gareth, she wouldn't stand a chance against their combined might. And when those two were the last ones standing, whoever won, Lincoln would still get his wish.

"What is your wish, Lady Carol?" Lancelot asked.

Gareth had a pained expression on her face, at same time, Carol mirrored that expression as she clutched at her right arm. "It really isn't my wish…but still, it's not something I'm ready to tell you. Let's go Gareth."

Gareth nodded and stood up as she and Carol began to walk away. The two women stopped at the door and Carol turned around to look directly at Lincoln. "For now, Lincoln, I'm not your enemy, but I'm not your ally either. My focus will be the other Masters, I do agree that Berserker and Archer are dangerous and need to be dealt with first, that much we can agree on. But I wouldn't overlook Caster or Assassin. They were watching the battle too, so be weary."

"Thanks."

Gareth turned around as well and held out her fist towards Lancelot. "Lancelot, know that I will not be holding back when we battle. Unlike that time, I won't fall so easily!"

Lancelot grimaced, but he nodded.

Once they were gone, both released a breath that neither knew that they were holding, and took a seat in opposite pews. Lincoln was tempted to ask why Gareth had such disdain in her eyes for the Knight of the Lake, they were both Knights of the Round Table, they fought countless battles together, bonds forged in battle and built on respect, that was the way of Camelot of legend, so why the look of regret on Lancelot's face.

Well, technically, I could find out what happened…an online search of the legend would tell me everything.

Somehow though, Lincoln didn't like the idea of doing that. Whatever was going on between Lancelot and Gareth stemmed from their past, and Lincoln didn't want to feel like he was intruding on his privacy. If Lancelot thought it was important, then Lincoln would wait for him to bring it up.

Lincoln stood up from his seat and patted Lancelot on the shoulder. "Hey, let's get some ice cream, my treat?"

Lancelot smiled and said, "That sounds good. But, um, what is 'ice cream'?"

"Oh boy, you're going to love it."