A/N: ITS MY BIRTHDAY~!
Consider this a reverse gift to you all!
Also!
Got a LOT of positive feedback on this, for which I can only bow and say thank you!
As to the Saber question many of you have been asking, I can easily say this:
YES.
I spent hours agonizing over where and when to have this story take place. After all, the events of Fate Zero provided us with glorious battles and backstory, but in the same vein Fate Stay Night has its own unique charms as well, does it not? And then I hit upon an idea.
Why not both?
A Ninja's War will focus more on the events of Fate Stay Night/UBW, etc. Its also far more serious than this.
Whereas THIS story, Not My Grail, goes straight for the meat of the matter with Fate Zero, and is a touch more lighthearted...
...with a few twists.
What can I say?
Fate Zero's given me certain...feelings...towards a number of characters.
I thought I hated Shinji before but holy CRAP do I despise Zouken!
But for all those I hate, there are those I adore.
Kiritsugu's an absolute BADASS, for one!
And what poor, poor Kariya suffered...
Also, Nero's a treasure to write.
Take this quote for instance:
"I am filled with arrogance and greed. I am a wicked monster who lusts for glory more than peace and luxury more than stability. I am lovesick for whirling flowers, lovesick for searing fire, and fascinated by the brilliance of the long dead stars that litter the night sky. That is who I am. The tyrant who refused to change the way she lived, whose tyranny ran rampant through ire and wrath and condemnation! I am Nero Claudius! Nothing is eternal, save the one thing I know to be everlasting. Bear witness to my soul!"
Bloody profound.
An now, I proudly present the next chapter of...
...Not my Grail!
Also, if you guys and girls want a pure Fate Stay Night fic involving Nero and MULTIPLE servants, look up Nerve Damage by Crossycross. Its absolutely inspiring! A work of art!
It also inspired a scene here regarding the Holy Grail...
...and how it reacts to intruders in the war...
I OWN NOTHING!
"A note to my future self:
Be careful when you screw with the Grail.
...a wish-granting device can bite you in the ass.
ALSO! Too many Sabers! Waaaaaaaaay too many Sabers!"
~Naruto's journal.
Cry Havoc
The Holy Grail fumed.
For an unmarked-unchosen!-Master had just intruded upon the war, before it could begin. It had not chosen this one! Liar! Deceiver! Usurper! A rogue deity that dared trespass upon its game! There could only be seven! Not eight! Wrong! It was all wrong, wrong, wrong! This new summoner possessed incredible powers far beyond those of a mere magus. Unfair! Not allowed! There could be no pain in such a one-sided battle! There must be grieving, suffering, loss! Destruction! Disaster! Despair! It must be this way! It must! Yet this interloper with his rogue summons would take all this away! Plural! As in more than one!
This thought made Angra Mainyu rage all the more.
Not merely one, but three Sabers! Three!
The first, an Emperor of Rome.
The second a being of destruction.
And the third...utterly unfathomable.
With them, the war would be easy.
Easy, with utter lack of effort.
No difficulty...whatsoever.
This would not stand.
(...Earlier, In an Undisclosed Area of Fuyuki...)
"...and that's why we're going to win."
Nero stubbornly clamped her mouth shut as her Master finished explaining his plans to her. Even then, she felt a stray muscle jumping in her jaw. Too complex. Far, far, far too complex! He'd spent the last three hours detailing a convoluted maze of plots, double crosses, traps and other minutia that had gone so far over her head she didn't think she couldn't take it any more! A master tactician she might well be, but the blond's plan seemed to border on insanity-nay, madness! What point was there in building alliances and then breaking them?! In deceiving everyone so?!
None of it made any sense and she told Naruto as much!
"That plan isn't beautiful at all!"
"Ah, but beauty is subjective." he hummed. "Wouldn't you agree, emperor?"
"No, it isn't!"
For his part her Master took Saber's accusations in stride, barking an unruly laugh as he kicked aside a fallen tree. The sound echoed harshly through the trees as they walked, reminding her of their change in location. More trees. How boring. The Einzbern forest wasn't anything special in that regard; the few traps they'd encountered had been disarmed handily. If the enemy was at all aware of their presence, they had yet to make a move. Or perhaps they had, and the two of them were walking into a trap. It seemed foolish and unnecessary.
All for the purpose of meeting one man?
Just who was this Kiritsugu?
"If I REALLY wanted to cheat, I could simply eliminate the Masters before they summon their servants." Naruto reminded her, much to the Emperor's displeasure. "Ah, don't give me that look. I won't. There's no fun in that. However...
"However?"
"Hmm. Yeah." he nodded absently, thumbing his chin. "I think this spot will do. We want to get his attention after all."
Then, without warning, he opened his arm from elbow to palm.
Nero nearly jumped.
"Praetor?!"
"Ah, relax! If something like this could kill me I'd 'ave died a thousand times by now. No," he shook his head slowly, watching the blood drip from his wound to pool upon the floor. "Its part of the ritual. Even deities need a bit of this stuff, sometimes. Just watch. I promise you won't be disappointed. Just...be ready in case we get attacked."
Her expression must've been telling indeed, for Naruto noticed immediately.
A bout of boisterous laughter burst out of the blond.
"Still don't believe me, eh? I guess that's fine."
"Why are you so focused on this human?" Try as she might, Nero couldn't bring herself to understand why her Praetor was going to such lengths to attract the man's attention. By his own account he wasn't someone to be taken lightly. Yet here he was, performing a ritual on his very doorstep. Inconceivable! What was this ritual for, actually...?
She received her answer when the blond bent a knee.
"Hmm? You mean Kiritsugu?"
"Yes, that one."
"Well...
(...A Few Miles Away...)
Emiya Kiritsugu jumped.
A great and mighty sneezed ripped its way through him all at once, causing his hand to scuff the edge of the summoning circle. Scowling, the mage killer went about correcting it. Their preparations had been nothing short of painstaking; he refused to see Iri's hard work go to waste. Yet, the faint feeling of being watched persisted. Unlikely. Only a master magi could slip through the Einzbern wards undetected, much less conceal themselves with this degree of skill and evade pursuit. No, it was impossible. None of his traps had been triggered.
Paranoia, most likely...
Still, somewhere, he had the distinct feeling someone was talking about him.
And was that laughter he heard?
(...)
...and that's precisely why I want to meet him."
Nero reluctantly restrained herself from a biting retort.
She could see the beauty in saving others; in basking in their praise and adoration. But what her Praetor was suggesting boggled the mind. He wanted to save someone who didn't want to be saved. Or might well not wish to be saved. He spoke of altering a destiny that-according to him-was so set in stone as to be called fate. Again, Naruto's claim of godhood sprang to her mind. Could such an outcome be overturned? For one with a power that transcended those of gods, it might well be possible. Yet the idea of overturning so many lives, solely on a whim.
"Praetor, you do realize you sound just as twisted as him, right?"
"Why do we fight?" Naruto countered. "For fame? Entertainment? For love? Power? Or to make a better world and make it a better place? For Kiritsugu, its the latter. Why do you think that is?"
"Because of humanity, I suppose."
"Indeed, humans are ugly creatures." Naruto continued, beginning to trace a symbol on the ground with his bloodied hand. "I should know. I used to be one. We're filthy. We scream and we shout and we rage. We steal. We hate. We crawl on the ground and curse those who learn to bear their burdens with pride, spit upon those who walk on their own two feet. In the end, we spend our lives trying to drag those determined few down to our level. Yet in the same vein some of us possess such a capacity for understanding, kindness, a wellspring of generosity, laughter, even love. Why is that?"
...I don't know."
"Then answer me this." the deity countered. "Why did you respond when I summoned you?"
"..."
"Because you're mad." the blond stated. "Just like me. Like or not Nero, we understand each other."
Imperceptibly, his wolfish grin grew.
"That's why I've decided."
"Decided...?"
"You and I? We are going to fuck this universe, right and proper." He declared stoically, grinding his fingers into a bloody fist. "Fuck it and all its evils right into the ground. Including the Grail. Once we have our little "chat" with good 'ol Kiritsugu, we're going to find Zouken of the Matou family and guess what? Imma burn the wormy bastard. We're going to find the Jubstacheit Einzbern and, guess what? Imma cut his head off. We're going to thrash Kirei Kotomine, then Archibald, an' that damn brat Ryuunosuke...
...yes, yes. I get it. you're going to kill them." Nero sighed, palming her face in an extravagant gesture. "I've got quite the bloodthirsty master, it seems."
"You're learning!" the whiskered warrior clapped his hands in agreement. "But, me? Bloodthirsty? Not at all! I'm doing this for their sake. There are some Masters in this war who honestly deserve a chance. They won't get that chance when you've got a band of pyschoctic magi running around. Ah but Tohsaka, Waver, Kiritsugu, and Kariya! I'd relish the chance to face them in battle! If I die then so be it!"
"Do you have any idea how twisted that sounds?"
Naruto pulled on ahead, completing the circle with a flourish.
"To that effect, I plan to drag out-ahem, I mean summon one more Servant before the War begins." Her silence proved telling, so he barreled onward. "I mean, it might break Heaven's Feel, but that's the intention isn't it? Anything that can stack the deck in our favor works for me."
"Am I not enough for you?!" Nero pouted. "And why here? The rules-
The sudden gleam in Naruto's eyes sent a cold shiver racing down her spine.
"Gods and Emperors are not bound by such drivel." he retorted, stamping a foot into the ground with a spark of golden light. "Did you follow the rules when you ruled Rome?! I think not! Therefore, in the words of a young man whose entirely too stubborn for his own good...
Blue eyes blazed crimson.
"Fuck the rules!"
Snarling, he spun and slammed his palm against the ground, fingers splayed.
A blinding green light answered him almost immediately.
Blinding in its intensity, Saber nearly recoiled from it outright; as though someone had just shone a great light through an almighty emerald. Dark tendrils of shadowy ether leaped from the circle, clawing at her Praetor in grisly relief, but he only laughed. Even as they threatened to take his very life, his smile didn't waver. If anything it grew even more crazed.
"Yes, that's it!" he cackled. "Take as much Prana as you need!"
Nero balked. "Have you gone made, Praetor?!"
If he heard her, he did little to show it.
"You who have been forsaken!" the blond's voice intoned, like two great boulders grinding their way down the mountainside. "You who dream an endless dream!" those words rang out in a harsh mockery of the very ritual used to summon a heroic spirit, twisting it, corrupting the very circle itself. "You who wish for salvation! I call to you! I am joy! I am destruction! I am hope! I am all the evils of the world! If you would see your wish fulfilled, heed my voice!"
With a thunderous cry, he removed his hand.
And the world burst into light.
"ARISE~!"
The ensuing explosion nearly ripped Nero from her feet, forcing the Heroic Spirit to plant her blade into the soil lest she be hurled away. Even then the gale intensified; as though someone or something had reached across space and time itself to sunder the very fabric of existence. And through it all, Naruto's voice thundered with laughter.
Slowly, reluctantly, the smoke cleared.
A maiden in white.
That was Nero's first thought for her.
"Oh, thank me." she heard Naruto groan in relief. "It's her. Would've been a massive pain the ass if I got Berserker...
The stranger's eyes reluctantly drifted open at his cajoling, exposing a pair of blood red orbs.
Only then did this strange-looking newcomer deign to face the wandering deity fully.
Her shroud turned with her, nearly gracing the round as she turned toward him.
...Saber Class." she spoke softly. "I have responded to your summoning."
Then she saw Nero, and her gaze turned colder still.
"What is the meaning of this, Master?"
"Yo, Altera!" Rather than answer her inquiry, Naruto merely beamed and snapped off a sly salute. "Looks like that bit with the Umbral Star worked out well for you! How have you been?"
...have we met?" the rich tone of her voice cracked with confusion.
"Eh, let's just say I know of you through various means, media and so on." the blond retorted, rolling his shoulders in an easy shrug. "Now before you start swinging the sword of Mars around like a battering ram, hear me out. You're not bound by Velber anymore in this incarnation and I'm not your enemy. Neither is Nero, here. That aside I may need to fix/break the grail...
To Nero's disbelief, the avatar of destruction listened intently to the explanation that followed.
She did not question their Master in the slightest, but merely observed.
No challenge was issued against him despite his claims.
Only quiet acceptance of the facts, no more.
Just what kind of woman was this?!
...very well." when he finished, Altera surprised then with a slight nod. "I accept these terms. I will see you victorious. And my wish will be granted."
It was not a question.
Naruto sketched a small bow.
"Welcome aboard, then."
With that, Nero's temper finally slipped its leash.
"Absolutely not!" Banishing her blade, the empress stormed forward and thrust a finger at the blond, jabbing him in the nose. "Praetor! Have you lost your mind?! Someone like her cannot possibly be trusted!"
This woman...she reeked of death.
Nay, more than that!
Destruction.
Here stood an emotionless killer who would kill anyone-anything-to achieve her goal. Nero herself was far from a saint, but at least she had some morals! This one...was different. She would destroy everything. Nero didn't know how she knew this, only that she did. That aside, the strain of empowering two servants must be draining, even for one such as him. Nevermind that he'd somehow broken ancient rules and successfully summoned a second servant, working with this one would mean absolute ruin!
"Hmm? Why?" Perhaps sensing that very thought, her Master tilted his head. "Because she's barely wearing anything? Aren't you two the same, then?"
"No!" she railed, flailing her arms! "That's different! I allow them to see my beauty! Completely different!"
"So what you're saying is that you two aren't alike." he arched an eyebrow.
"You are an unrivaled genius after all, right?"
"Umu!" Nero's head bobbed. "Of course I am! That's precisely why my wish-
"No." Altera interjected. My wish. Not yours."
"Nnrgh! We will have words on this, I promise you!"
"No, we won't." the destroyer replied.
"Aaargh!"
"Right, right. Great." Naruto's head bobbed up and down in faux agreement as he pushed past them. "We're one big happy family. Behave, you two. Don't make me use a Command Seal. Now if we can all just get along lone enough for us to reach the-
No expected the summoning circle to ignite again.
It had been glowing faintly, but no one paid it any heed.
Until now.
"What the hell?!"
Naruto sensed it first, grunting in mild annoyance as his prana-or what amounted to such-was suddenly and forcefully siphoned off by the new arrival. With a grunt, he flicked two fingers toward the circle in an attempt to dispel, only to find himself suddenly and violently repulsed by what seemed to be a bounded field. A fresh trio of symbols carved themselves into his arm as he looked on, like thorny brambles wrapping their way around a tree. Scarlet light flooded the clearing in response to his short-lived interference, growing darker with each passing moment. The heavens trembled. The earth shook. Reality itself threatened to reject them outright. Trees tore themselves asunder as the world itself threw itself into turmoil, parting to make way for the arrival of a being whose ambition knew no bounds.
"Ah, Master?"
"Don't look at me!"
A pillar of crimson sang.
And another warrior emerged.
If Altera disdained armor, this one worshiped it.
Unfortunately, Naruto had the misfortune of recognizing this individual.
He'd done more than enough research to know what he'd inadvertently wrought.
"Oh, fuck."
A towering being clad in red and silver plate, their every feature was concealed by that of steel. A horned helmet like that of a demon turned towards them, cocking inquisitively After a moment of thought on its owner's part, a portion of that peerless helm folded backwards, exposing the concealed visage of its owner beneath that stern facade of steel. She was both fair of face and pale of skin with striking aqua eyes, her bound hair the color of fresh straw. A small smile adorned her fine-featured face, oozing confidence and arrogance. Thus grinning, she planted her blade into the soil before them, hands resting upon its hilt.
"I am Mordred, the one and true heir of Arthur Pendragon." she declared brazenly with every fiber of her being.
Pearly white teeth flashed in a demented grin.
"So I ask of you...are you my master?"
A moment of silenced passed.
Then...another.
Another still.
And then.
Then:
"HA!"
Mordred had thought her entrance rather spectacular, even grand, all things considered. As such, the bloodthirsty knight was caught completely unawares when her prospective Master inexplicably flopped to the floor and started writhing about laughing like a mad hyena all the while. No, that would be an insult to hyenas! Yet still his mirth persisted in the face of her disbelief. Her honor in tatters, the Knight of Londinium felt her face grow increasingly hot with each passing moment. Her cheeks continued to burn until she could stand it no longer.
"Why the hell are you laughing, oi?!"
"I'm laughing at my luck!" Naruto retorted, wiping a mirthful tear from his eye as he stumbled drunkenly to his feet. "I wanted another Saber, and now I've wound up with three! Did that Grail curse me or something? No, don't answer that. You asked he a question, didn't you?"
Dusting himself off, the Rogue Deity turned to face the Knight of Treachery.
"I suppose greetings are in order, Mordred." to Nero's ire, he sketched a deeper bow than he had for her. "You're the Third Saber I've summoned. Accidentally, of course. Ah, well. Lemons into lemonade and whatnot."
"Ha?" the knight's face scrunched in confusion. "What kind of bullshit is that? Its impossible to summon more than one-
"Yes, yes, as everyone is so fond of telling me! I could explain, but...
Naruto pinched the brow of his nose.
...no. You know what? I'm tired of waiting."
Mordred scowled.
"Oi, wait a minute, dumbass! What are you-?"
"We're going to meet the man himself! Everybody hold hands! So do I Command by the power of the Seals!"
"Praetor?!"
"What do you-
"Hey, whaaaaat-
Despite varying degrees of complains, the trio of Sabers found they could do naught but comply. By their own accord they did as they'd been bade, creating a crude circle of sorts. What possible purpose could this serve? In the end Nero received her answers, starting slightly as Naruto clamped a hand down around her shoulder.
With a smirk he leaned in, his lips brushing the outer lobe of her ear.
"Might wanna hold your breath. Teleportation's pretty rough first time around."
Too late, the world shifted wildly around the four of them and she nearly vomited outright. By the time her vision cleared and her stomach mastered itself, it was already too late. With a start she realized they'd forsaken the forest for favor of a castle, trees replaced by grands halls and ornate furniture. And there, at the end of this seemingly impeccable hall, a pair of ornate door stood. Even now Naruto was marching steadfastly towards them, Altera and a slightly mystified Mordred in tow...
...leaving her behind.
"Hey!" she bristled, racing after them. "Wait for me! Wait I said! Imperial Privilege!"
She'd only just reached Naruto when he reared back and raised up his leg.
"ORAH!"
With a thunderous shout, the whiskered deity kicked the doors down.
"Kiritsugu, I've come to bargain!"
A/N: Okay, okay, so I had to delay that bit with Gilgamesh until next chapter.
Its gonna be HUGE and I didn't want to squeeze it in there at the end.
Clarification!
THIS Nero has yet to experience the events of Fate Extra/CCC/Extella, which is why she doesn't recognize Altera or show her any immediate hostility. Neither has our maiden in white. In short, they are essentially past versions of themselves from a different timeline. Mordred, however, is still very much Mordred and she's gonna be a lot of fun to write. Fate Zero is so tragic, and I feel that a few characters could do with some otherworldly intervention...but for better or ill remains to be seen.
We get a look at Kiritsugu and the others next chapter...
...and yes, there's gonna be some surprises.
Heh, weren't expecting this, were you?
Fate Zero with multiple servants!
Expect chaos to ensue!
For those who are wondering, Naruto's not above breaking reality to get what he wants. Ergo, we might see some other heroes pop up in this story.
So in the Immortal Words of Atlas...
...Review, Would You Kindly?
And enjoy the preview!
(Previews)
"Wait, wait, wait. You mean to tell me everyone's summoned multiple-
"ARRRRRRTUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURIAAAA!"
Two swords swung down intercepting her.
"Bad Mordred! DOWN!"
Another warrior?
Unfortunately, Nero had the misfortune of knowing this individual.
A striking women of peerless form clad in jet black plate, she was both fair of face and pale of skin. What little could be seen of the latter. Her hair, the color of rusted violets, her eyes, blood. In her right hand she carried a crimson spear of impossible length, in the left, its twin. And yet she seemed sad, somehow. Her shoulders bore an invisible burden that threatened to leech the very light from her eyes, such was her pain.
Her reputation alone preceded her.
"So...lemme guess...Scathach?"
Her lance found his throat in an instant.
"Shall I show that, if you reach the extremes of a spear blow, it is possible to kill even gods?"
"Um...no, please?"
"Wait a minute, she can do that?!"
"Hm? So knowledge of such things escape your grasp. Imagine, my own praetor, so robustly informed of so many divine myths and history, completely at a loss! Oh, how woeful! How sad! I suppose the results speak for themselves, after all...
"Sarcasm does not become you, Nero."
"Ah? Master? You DO realize that I wasn't being-
"Nope! That's it! I've had enough! EVERYTHING DIES!"
R&R~!
=D