A/N: Well, chapter 2 is here people! I just want to say thank you to the people who faved, followed, and review this story so far! I know it doesn't seen like a lot, but it means the world to me.
Before we get into it, I would like you fellow readers to know that if you are in fact planning on sticking with this fic, please be prepared for long update times. I am pretty inconsistent with that sorta thing. Don't worry though, I am going to try my damnest to actually finish this but I can't guarantee how long it would take.
Also, I should probably say this now...Saber still isn't in this chapter. *Le gasp* I am aware of how many people I've probably disappointed by saying this but I just can't decide who to pick for Saber. I mean, I have a few options but there is already someone in this fic from the same anime. Having two seem kind of redundant. So I ask you people to please give me a few ideas (Please no more katana users because that's already Assassin.) Better yet, just give me the whole stat sheet so at least if I haven't seen the show yet, I got something to work off of.
Much like chapter 1, I will most likely do a bunch of small edits on this shortly after posting this (You can reread CH1 now if you want to because I added a few details. Though that's not necessary.)
English is not my first language so please let me know of any spelling or grammar mistakes. On that note, let me know of any OOCness as well. I am in the process of rewatching Fate:Zero just for this story.
Disclaimer: I still do not own the Fate franchise or any of the other shows associated with this fanfic.
The rest of the AN will be at the bottom.
Now, let's get on with it shall we?
(Mackenzie House)
They made their way back to the farmhouse, a journey that involved of sightseeing stops courtesy of Rider. Upon arriving, Waver had managed to successfully hypnotize his 'grandparents' again regarding Rider. What he was doing was unavoidable, but it did not make him feel any less guilty.
He made them believe that Rider is the younger brother of one of his classmates that he had offered to watch over while said classmate was out of the country for work. Thankfully, that included for the elderly couple to not question as to why would a twelve year old have tattoos on his head and arms. Glen and Martha said that they were more than happy to have him stay with them. In that moment, Rider revealed to all three of them that his name was Aang.
An odd name if Waver had anything to say about it, but at least he knew Rider's real name now. Waver made a mental note to research the name 'Aang' to see just who exactly did he summon.
On the other hand, Martha was immediately smitten by Rider upon seeing him and had insisted to dote on him every chance she could get, much to Waver's embarrassment. This became rather evident during the very next morning, as the Master/Servant duo woke up to a grand breakfast of eggs, bacon, toast, and hashbrowns.
Rider graciously thanked them, but apologized when he had to tell them that he was unable to eat meat to him being a vegetarian. Which made sense, considering his monk-like persona.
"This is really good!" Rider exclaimed between bites of his hashbrowns . "I've never had food like this back at my home. I usually just eat the seaweed wraps the local vendor sells. But sorry I couldn't eat the other stuff, you know, with me being a vegetarian and all."
"Nonsense, I'm just glad you like it, dear." Martha smiled at him as she placed a plate of freshly cut fruit on the table.
After breakfast was done, Glen and Martha left the house in order to do some errands in the town, leaving Waver and Rider behind to clean up.
"Here, let me." Rider insisted when Waver had bent down to pick up the dishes. With the flick of his wrist, Rider created a mini whirlwind that gathered all the dirty dishes and dropped them neatly in the sink. Then with an elegant wave with his arms, small stream of water came out of the faucet and began rinse the plates. "I think this should be enough. Do you know where the soap is?"
Waver however, was dumbfounded. What kind of magic was that? He did recall Rider doing something similar when he was just summoned but for some reason the young man didn't bother to think much into it.
Waver then made another mental note to ask Rider about that...Thing he does.
Even so, Waver was somewhat satisfied with his servant, despite his carefree and childlike personality. And also with that weird magic that seems to be a part of him.
The same cannot be said for a certain disgruntled, blond haired man staying at the Hyatt Hotel.
(Hotel Room)
'That's not Diarmuid.'
That was the first thought that ran through Kayneth Archibald El-Melloi's mind when he saw his supposed servant. Sola-Ui, his fiance, stared at the figure before them, her eyebrows raised and her hand covered her mouth.
He was so sure that he had used the right catalyst. So why didn't the Holy Grail give him what he asked for?! He was not about to lose war he spent so long preparing because of two mistakes that happened to him in the span of one day. First, he found out that his original catalyst, a piece of cloth that supposedly came from Alexander the Great himself, was stolen. Oh, he knew who it was of course. It was probably the boy's way to get back at Kayneth, after the older man had humiliated him in front of the entire class. But really, Kayneth just wanted to stop the boy's delusions before they become out of hand. In his mind, he was doing Mr. Velvet a favour, and that was how he repaid him? Well, it didn't matter now, as his backup catalyst failed him as well.
As for his servant, he appeared to be a young boy, no older than his early teens, much to Kayneth and Sola-Ui's surprise. Someone that young made it to the Throne of Heroes?
The boy had short brown hair and light amber eyes. He wore a thick orange and teal sweatshirt, blue pants, and short boots with large buttons decorating it. He was also clutching a large green leopard patterned pillow (?) in his arms. He almost looked to be on the verge of falling asleep but Kayneth and the servant managed to lock eyes for a second.
"I can tell that I am not the servant you wanted." His servant spoke up in a bored tone, noticing Kayneth's expression.
"Who are you?" The blond man demanded, his voice rising in anger. "What did you do to Diarmuid you little brat?" His servant gave him a blank look. The nerve-
"I do not know of this 'Diarmuid'." He said simply. "But I am the servant Lancer in this war." Kayneth was less than pleased.
"No! I will not lose this war because the Holy Grail wants to play a joke on me! Why should I-"
"Kayneth! Enough!" Sola-Ui grabbed hold of his arm to interrupt him from his rant. "I'm sure that the Grail has sent you this boy for a good reason. Obviously he's someone of importance or else he wouldn't have been in the Throne of Heroes in the first place!"
Turing to Lancer, "Please excuse him. He does mean well, he was just surprised that it was you who appeared instead of the one we were expecting." Lancer was silent for a second, taking in the woman's apology.
The boy then gave Sola-Ui a smile. "I understand. Thank you for your kind words, my lady. I promise, I will do everything that I can to win for my Master."
Kayneth gave a huff of annoyance, but otherwise 'calmed' down. "Very well. I will give you a chance, Lancer. Do not try to fail me." As he headed of to his room to vent some more, he heard Sola-Ui further apologize to the boy.
What Kayneth had failed to do was to look at his servant's stats. Because if he did, he would have thought twice before treating Lancer the way he did. One day he will look back and be thankful for the servant's patience.
(Small flashback of the previous chapter)
Before Ryuunosuke could say anything else, a flash of light blinded him, then he felt a sharp pain in his chest. Looking down, he saw a big gaping hole right where his heart should have been. Another second later, his dismembered right hand with the tattoos found itself being held by the other teen.
"While I might be a demon, I am not above killing children. You, on the other hand, are scum. " The person said, his voice laced with disgust. "Even Satan has better morals than you."
As Ryuunosuke felt his life slip away, he could only think of one thought in his depraved mind.
"That...was so...cool…!"
"That's odd."
Kirei stopped what he was doing when he noticed his father's frown. "What is it, Father?" The older man furrowed his eyebrows, silent for a few moments before answering.
"The final servant, Caster had been summoned. But mere moments afterward, the Church goes to inform me that Caster's Master is killed."
"Killed?" Kirei asked incredulously. "Was it by another servant?" The Overseer shook his head.
"I don't believe so. More likely it was by Caster themself."
"To do something like that...This Caster must've had a high enough Independent Action." Risei nodded gravely.
"I can only hope that it won't become a rogue servant. This war is already too different as it is."
Kirei silently agreed, the fact that his own servant was not the one he had hoped for was a surefire sign that the War was much more different than what everyone was used to.
His servant, Assassin, was a peculiar one. Kirei could not, for the life of him, figure out her identity. She refused to give him her name, stating that her name held no importance in this world. The closest he get was Oda Nobunaga, as he opened his mind to the possible gender misconceptions that can happen with Heroic Spirits. But the clothes she had appeared in when summoned had quickly debunked that theory.
Unfortunately, because of his and Tokiomi's unexpected summons, they were unable to go with their original plan of faking Assassin's death.
On another note, Kirei learned that Assassin's Noble Phantasm was actually her katana.
"March of the Dead: Yastufasa" was what it was called. Gives Assassin the ability to control the dead. She told him that her 'puppets' (That's what she called them) were those that were killed by the blade during her life. While she can only control up to eight at a time, the abilities of each one could very well rival a minor Heroic Spirit. They would have sacrificed one of the puppets for the sake of the original plan, but Tokiomi had decided that Assassin would most likely need all of hers if they are to win the War.
Plus, her Noble Phantasm was ranked EX, much to the pleasant surprise of both Masters.
"Assassin." Kirei spoke out loud into the empty Church. In an instant, the katana wielder appeared near him from motes of light. She was currently carrying a bag full of modern candy in her hands, with a half eaten lollipop in her mouth.
The man had quickly learned that Assassin was easier to control when there was candy involved. Sure, he could just use the command seals, but it was best to save them. It least it wasn't too big of a depletion on his funds.
"Something you need, Master?" She wasn't even looking at him, but was more focused on trying to open a chocolate bar.
"Have some of your puppets patrol the area around the Church. Keep them hidden, but make sure that no other Master or Servant gets near here. If you do detect a presence, take care of it immediately and inform me of what's going on."
"Aww…" The girl whined. "I wanted to explore more of the city-" Kirei feels a headache coming on.
"Assassin." He repeated, more firmly this time.
For a brief moment, Kirei saw killing intent in her eyes. But it was gone as quickly as it came. He repressed the urge to sigh. Is it always going to be like this?
Thankfully, Assassin didn't do anything else other than nod in acknowledgement. "Alright, Master."
She unsheathed her katana, the blade emitting a sickly purple glow. "Natala. Doya." She commanded. In response, two figures appeared beside her.
One was a man with platinum hair and blue eyes and wore a white trench coat and a white mask that covered half of his face. He carried a weapon that resembled a Japanese Naginata.
The other person was a beautiful, young woman with blond hair and green eyes. And her clothes were something that Kirei recognized as a Westerner Cowboy style outfit. A brown ranch hat, a red scarf, long-sleeved gray shirt under a leather vest, and leather boots. Old fashioned handguns were holstered along her waist.
Kirei noted just how dead (No pun intended) their gazes are. They were simply...Puppets. That was the power Assassin's Noble Phantasm. Controlling people, even after dying.
To never be even given a chance to pass on...
It was truly a fate worse than death.
And for some reason, Kirei can't help but feel a shiver run down his spine.
After Assassin repeated Kirei's orders to the two puppets, Assassin herself disappeared again to God knows where.
Kirei was in the middle of filling out some paperwork when he saw his Father's troubled frown again.
"Wha-This isn't right…" Risei mumbled to himself.
"What? What's wrong?"
"I was just informed. Another servant has been summoned by the Grail. Ruler."
Ruler.
A servant class that's not one of the main seven. It's main job is to preside over the wars, and to protect the concept of the Grail Wars itself. While someone like Risei Kotomine was the mediator from the Church, he mainly focuses on the Masters. Ruler, on the other hand, is one for the Servants.
When summoned, Ruler is given two command seals for each servant, able to use them as they see fit.
Usually, the criteria to be summoned as a Ruler were normally Saints. This was seen in one timeline where Jeanne D'Arc herself was presiding over the Holy Grail Wars between the Black and Red factions.
For this timeline however, Ruler was far from a Saint, but cares for the people all the same.
(Elsewhere)
Amongst the busy streets of Fuyuki, an unassuming young man sat alone on a bench, taking in the sights around him. His appearance was simple, making him blend in perfectly with the other pedestrians.
His chin-length black hair framed his round face, and grey eyes simply stared off into the distance, lost in thought. But to anyone stopping by to look at him they would have seen that those eyes held wisdom no person his apparent age should even have.
The man wore a clean business suit and had a metal briefcase resting on his lap. There was nothing it it, however. It was simply there to keep up appearances. He would have worn the outfit he usually wore, a white naval uniform with gold trim, but that would have made him stand out too much.
It was strange, really, for him to summoned. Because by all accounts, he technically isn't even dead yet. And yet here he was, tasked with preserving the laws of the Holy Grail Wars to make sure they are not violated.
When he was suddenly plucked from his world and dropped in this new one, Ruler was flooded with the all knowledge he needed about the War and about the world he was in. Though, the second part wasn't really necessary. As there was virtually no difference between the two universes, at least to Ruler.
The man stayed where he sat, watching the people go about their everyday lives. The sound of birds chirping, street vendors, and overall chatter of civilians filled the air. Steel office towers touched the skies, television screens illuminated shop windows, and cars of all shapes and sizes drove up and down the street.
At the corner of his eye, Ruler watched a young mother push a stroller, with a toddler trailing beside her. Near a takoyaki vendor, a group of middle-aged men chatted with each other about the statuses of their companies. On the other side of the street, a teenage couple walked leisurely down the sidewalk, ice cream cones in their hands. Everything was just so common. So familiar.
It was like he never left home.
It comforted him, knowing that he would be the one keeping them safe and ignorant from the war. His people-
Ruler stopped. He blinked as he realized what he had just thought. Should he even consider these people as his? He knows who he is supposed to be, but in this world, he doesn't exist.
Back in his own world, however, there were many on those like him.
But they lived a paradoxical existence. An existence that even they cannot fully understand.
They are the land, just as the land is them. They can last forever, but can only last as long as they are made to be. They are their own person, but their breaths carry the voices of millions. They are human...But inhuman all the same. Perfect...Yet very much flawed.
Yeah, he was the very embodiment of what these people have called 'home.' So then that means...
The man made a small smile, knowing the answer to his question.
Yes. They were his people. Be it from his own universe of another one entirely, so long as they lived on this land, they were his. And he will do whatever it takes to make sure that no innocent dies from this war, Holy Grail be damned.
(Sorry that this chapter is on the short side but once I get the ball rolling, the future chapters should be longer. And also this is just the introductions so please be patient for the action scenes.)
*Okay, so first of, I know that someone is going to say something about Ruler's summoning is non canon because 1) Heroic Spirits are just simply vessels for the souls of said hero and 2) Even Rulers need a Master (Are these points right? My Fate lore is pretty rusty) But lets just say for the sake of this story that this is possible. Corrupted grail remember? Anything can happen.*
Lancer is has finally appeared! Can you guess who he is? As for the extra servant, Ruler (Did any of you expect that?)...I think I already gave him away. And Assassin and Rider were given not so subtle hints lol.
Please don't forget to tell what you think so far! I need motivation! Even a simple, "This is good. Please continue," does wonders you know. Constructive Criticism is highly appreciated.
Do you have any questions? Comments? Suggestions? Contact me either through PM or review.
Thank you for reading and until next time!
-SynPyre
Next Chapter:
"Take the Reins, it's Hard"