Kiyohime bounded around the room showing her current health. "And then my master was crying over my body," the dragon lady said. "She told me that I had to survive. It was so romantic."
"I'm glad being stabbed twice put you in such a great mood," Aoko said to her servant as she sat on the couch but her smile took all the bite out of her words. "Man who knew Command Seals are so powerful?" she said shaking her head.
"They are meant to be absolute orders to be imposed on the servants," Rin piped up showing her knowledge of the Grail War. "Isn't it obvious that trump cards would be powerful enough to change the course of the battle?" She then turned to her servant. "I was surprised that it wasn't enough to enable you to defeat the Ancestor by yourself."
Her servant looked very apologetic. "I'm sorry, my lady. Despite her seeming frailty the woman I fought was stronger than me at that time. I do not know what she did but I felt myself slow and I was unable to overpower her even with the command seals."
They fell silent at that. Then Shirou stood up from the lounge chair that he had forbidden anybody else from touching. "Saber," he said. "I'm going to try something. Tell me if the feeling feels familiar."
The knight glanced at his master and when she didn't present any complaints he nodded his head. Shirou immediately waved his hand and the servant felt heaviness set in under his skin. A familiar heaviness he realised, one that he had felt a few hours ago.
"That is very familiar," the servant replied. "It feels like it did when I fought her."
"Blood manipulation," Shirou said. "It must have been very strong to be able to slow down the servant. You two masters are lucky she didn't hit you with that it would have probably outright killed you."
Aoko and Rin both nodded to that, Aoko having experienced the pain of blood manipulation and Rin having seen it.
"I think we're overlooking something they said Master," his servant Ishtar said stretching the word Master sensuously. "They were conversing for some length about how Command Seals are trump cards and therefore valuable. Why don't you tell them what you used your trump card on?"
Shirou took a sip from his tea that Nine had provided but neither spoke nor prevented Ishtar from speaking. Seeing he was saying nothing Ishtar continued.
"My master when he first met me was struck by my overwhelming beauty and carnality. Thus soon after making my acquaintance he commanded me to seal off my beauty." All eyes in the room turned towards Shirou expecting him to deny this or at least defend himself and were surprised when he just calmly continued to sip his tea.
"Wait a minute," Rin cried out stunned. "You're still beautiful now. What did you look like before?" She noticed Shirou looking quite strangely at her. "What?" she asked defensively.
Shirou just shook his head. "You are going to have a really difficult time continuing the Tohsaka line, aren't you? He said. "Anyway," he continued ignoring Rin's spluttered denials. "I wouldn't have a problem with the skill if you didn't keep trying to use it on me."
"So my little brother is weak against seduction techniques then," Aoko piped up causing Shirou to spit out his tea.
"Changing the subject," Shirou said decisively ignoring the looks of the room. "Have any of you recalled any details about the second assassin yet."
"I haven't," Rin admitted. "I know I was fighting somebody and that Berserker got stabbed and we won but I cannot remember the specifics of how they fought or what they looked like."
"I have no extra knowledge than my master," Saber said.
"I'm pretty sure that none of us remember anything more than the bare details about the servant," Aoko said. "Do you suspect that the servant will cause trouble in the future?"
"Almost certainly," Shirou said immediately drawing the attention of the room. Nine placed another cup of tea in front of him and he took a sip while formulating his response. "There is no curse on you. That means that the ability to forget the appearance of the assailant is inherent to the servant and it naturally would dissipate upon their death."
"Do you have any ideas of how to identify the name or nature of this servant," Shirou's servant asked him.
"It was Jack the Ripper," Shirou said immediately.
"How do you know that," Rin asked annoyed that Shirou could know the name of the servant without even meeting them where she had met them and been forced to forget.
"I had scanned the wound of Aoko's servant when I first met her," Shirou explained. "It was caused by a knife called Maria the Ripper. I simply put two and two together." Shirou put down his cup and regarded the room for a moment. "I must warn you this knife could do quite a bit of damage if it is used against a female and the area is misty. It is not enough to kill my own servant, and it probably wouldn't scratch Arcueid," he said gesturing to the True Ancestor who had spent the last ten minutes devouring the chocolate chip cookies that had been provided by his servant. "But the rest of you should be wary."
Shirou put down his cup. "Well done everybody on tonight, one down six more to go. I have to go check up on something; Rin Nine will show you to your room. You are not walking home at this time of night."
xxx
Shirou stepped into Satsuki's room. While he did not outwardly show it, inside he was incredibly concerned about the condition of his friend. He took in the status of the injured party in a few seconds. One of the benefits of the fourth was that he had the ability to diagnose injury and disease superior to even the best doctors. The downside was that he did not gain the requisite knowledge to fix those difficulties. While he had expanded his repertoire to include some basic healing, the ability to fix an inhuman mind after damage was done to their reality marble was something that nobody would ever call basic.
Sighing he decided to wake her up. If she was having any problems he could better handle it if she was awake and could tell him what was erroneous with her body and mind. He conjured some ice-cold water over her head and then thought better of it and gently shook her awake. She rolled over and tried to fend him off but he was persistent and eventually she managed to struggle awake.
"Good morning Satsuki," Shirou said cheerfully. It was technically morning at two 'o clock but he had a feeling that the young woman would not see it that way. "How are you feeling?"
The woman concentrated on the question for a moment. "I actually feel fine," she said running her fingers over her body. "I feel better than usual actually."
"Good," Shirou said. "Then I can perform this demonstration." As he spoke a glob of water materialised and impacted on the chest of Satsuki knocking her back onto the bed.
"What the hell Shirou," she said as she sat up straight glaring at the magician.
"Before you went to sleep that kind of attack would have penetrated straight through you," Shirou said causing Satsuki to stop and glance down at the point of impact. "In fact when I saw you I had the urge to tell Arcueid that she had gained a sister."
"You mean I…" Satsuki begun only to get stopped mid-sentence by Shirou.
"I meant that at first glance by and observant viewer you would be mistaken for a True Ancestor," Shirou said. "While your body is similar there are enough differences that you would not be considered one."
"What differences," Satsuki said giving Shirou her full attention.
"No good ones," Shirou replied instantly, bursting Satsuki's bubble. "Can you feel a specific pressure around you?"
Satsuki concentrated for a moment. "No," she said after a while. "I can't feel anything specific. But this body is new and I may not just recognize it."
Shirou nodded. "Anyway if I have to guess, I would say that your body is more akin to that of a lunarian than that of a True Ancestor. Therefore there will be no Marble Phantasm for you." Shirou smiled. "I find it quite strange to think that out of the tiny bit of Dead Apostle blood there was still enough to…" Shirou's voice trailed off and Satsuki watched as his eyes widened and his mouth remained open.
"Shirou," she said after a minute shaking his shoulder and causing him to waken from his stupor.
"I've just realized something horrifying," Shirou said in a flat voice. "Anyway," he said cutting off Satsuki's questioning. "Do you want to show me your Reality Marble."
Satsuki nodded determinedly and closed her eyes. She built up prana within her and reached deep inside for the image that she saw in her soul and after just a moment she released it.
A minute later she opened her eyes to see Shirou who was ankle deep in water giving her a deadpan look.
"I need more practice, okay," she said in response to Shirou's judging look.
"I was not disputing that," Shirou said examining the fluid. "Do you mind if I study this fluid," Shirou said. At her nodded assent he pulled out a vial and filled it full of the liquid.
"Tell me what you find out about the substance," Satsuki said to Shirou.
"Will do," Shirou said turning to walk out of the room. "If you need any help figuring out your reality marble you can ask Nine. If you need any help figuring out your new body do some kata's. Do not try sparring with anybody yet."
With those last words of wisdom Shirou clicked his fingers causing all the water from Satsuki's Reality Marble to form into blocks and freeze. He then left the room.
xxx
"What an interesting predicament," Ishtar said to Shirou as they left the room. "Those guys that you call Lunarianns were tough," she said with a nostalgic look on her face as she floated besides him. "By the way wasn't that name from Final Fantasy."
"Is it," Shirou asked. "I know they use the name in the Touhou games, but it is actually a generic name for a fictional species that hypothetically lives on the moon."
"Huh," Ishtar said. "I also noticed you didn't inform the girl of the reason for the possible pressure."
Shirou nodded solemnly. "Being rejected by the world cannot be a nice feeling," he said. "The pressure will either break her or turn her into a crystal."
"Don't you mean diamond," Ishtar said.
"Nah," Shirou said placing his hands in his pockets. "Did I ever tell you about the time that ORT nearly killed both Nine and I."
"As fascinating as that story sounds," Ishtar said. "I can't help but remembering something I heard earlier in the evening. You know what I am speaking of, something about you being weak to seduction techniques."
"Ishtar stop," Shirou said with a note of warning in his voice.
"I may not be able to hold myself back for too much longer Shirou," the goddess said seductively leaning in closer causing Shirou's breath to quicken. "I've figured out why you don't want to copulate," she said her voice taking on a much more normal tone.
"Most attempts to psychoanalyse me fail Ishtar," Shirou said impassively. "You may try, but you certainly won't succeed."
"You're afraid of getting attached," Ishtar said looking at Shirou's blank face. "You know that if you sleep with me you will fall in love. It's a terribly human thing to do isn't it?" she said but there was no scorn in her voice. "You don't want to go through the pain of my death if I were to expire in this tournament or the pain if we win and I leave." The Magician paused and turned towards his servant scrutinizing her. "In addition you may have to sacrifice me to save one of your living friends," she said offhandedly. "You'll do it simply because the lives of the living outweigh my temporary existence." She gave a fragile smile. "And you would hate yourself for that."
"You presume a lot goddess," Shirou said his voice containing no emotion at all.
"I do Shirou," the goddess said. "I know you. I've known you for a long time."
"And if this is true," Shirou said. "If you somehow have me pegged and know exactly what my reasons were for not engaging in lovemaking with you were. Would you respect them?"
"Of course not," Ishtar said immediately subtly enjoying the rare look of astonishment that came over the magicians face. "After all I'm a selfish goddess and I cannot help but show my love." She then smiled beatifically and wrapped her arms around Shirou brining their bodies close together.
The sound of footsteps approached and Arcueid popped up next to them. "Hey Ishtar," she whispered to the goddess. "Are we implementing the plan now," she said.
"Not yet Arcueid," the goddess said releasing Shirou who had to take deep breaths to get his arousal under control. "Stay ready," she whispered back.
"You know I can hear you," Shirou said.
"We know," Arcueid and Ishtar answered simultaneously causing Shirou to shiver at how in sync they were.
"Nine," Shirou said. "Guard my bedchamber tonight."
"At once Master Shirou," his servant said appearing next to him.
"Well I would honestly love to chat with you for a bit but I am honestly bone-tired. That dog really did a number on me," he said yawning. "Good night."
As he said that Shirou disappeared from the corridor.
"You're not really going to keep us out of Shirou's room Nine," Arcueid asked the butler giving him and imploring look.
"While I would love to guard Master Inke's sleeping area," Nine started. "I unfortunately have a prior appointment to help Lady Satsuki with her Reality Marble." The butler winked. "Have fun," he said as he walked off in the opposite direction to Shirou's room ignoring the thumbs up that Arcueid gave to Ishtar.
xxx
Two people stood in a temple. The first one Shirou recognized immediately as his servant. She had her arms crossed over her chest in a defensive posture. The second was the man he had seen so many times before. Unlike the previous times where he had displayed exasperation, amusement or empathy now his aura radiated rage.
"Let it go Inanna," he said his voice heavy and controlled with an undercurrent of wrath.
"He disrespected me," the goddess bit out. "You saw that didn't you. You know that if they lose respect for the gods they might decide that they don't need us anymore. You know what will happen then."
"Well maybe they wouldn't lose respect for us if you didn't give your all to make sure that they are all wiped out. I still cannot believe that you unleashed that thing. I taught you better Inanna."
"It was my right," the goddess insisted. "We can't let humans ignore us and oppose us as they wish. It is even worse if it is that human who decides that we are redundant." She stood up and looked the god in the eye. "In fact I'm starting to think that you were partly to blame for his death. Did you or did you not help Gilgamesh?"
"This is not about me," the man insisted stepping forward and facing the woman eye-to-eye. "This is about you not caring for anybody but yourself. You never think about the ramifications of your acts."
For a moment Shirou thought he saw genuine hurt in Ishtar's eyes. "And your way is any better," she hurling the accusation at the other god. "If you had your way you would have the gods serve the humans."
"I don't believe that," the other god said shaking his head. "Not everything is about hierarchy Inanna. Please dampen your damn pride and forgive him."
The goddess looked genuinely torn and for a few moments Shirou thought she might listen, but then she slowly shook her head sealing off that possibility.
"Then this is a parting of the ways Ishtar," the male god said his voice flat as he turned around and walked away from Shirou's servant.
A look of sorrow crossed over Ishtar's face but she quickly schooled it into an impassive mask.
"Goodbye, Ea," she said. But the god didn't even turn around.
Author Note: If anybody wants me to post a character sheet for any of the servants just tell me. One thing that you may have noticed is that Ishtar is a bit stronger due to not being in Rin's body. Sorry Rin no matter how many squats you do you can't exactly match a divine body. This chapter took me way too long to complete.
Gilgamesh King of Mongrels: It has been used and will be used again. Just not for every fight.
Polar Wolfstar The Rupture: Yup Manaka Sayjou.
Axel Fones: You made my day. It's quite nice to hear somebody enjoys your story
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