Chapter Fifteen: The Long Night

A short time later they had laid Marrok down in one of the few untouched rooms left in the castle on the queen-sized bed it contained. It was fortunate that the castle had been built with the safety of the living quarters in mind. The group had yet to be informed of the location of the new base they were supposed to be transferring to later in the day. It was just hitting day, but it might as well have still been night for all the time outside they would likely be able to avoid themselves while trying to save Marrok. Thankfully, they had been able to convince Sakura that he was just badly hurt. Saber had insisted they not break the news yet, for she had no intention of letting him die yet.

"This is reckless, Saber. We don't have any idea if this will work or what it will do. You could be forced off of all of Kiri's command seals, not just this one."

"It's worth the risk. I'm not letting him die to treason if there's anything I can do to save him."

"Putting him on my command seal though? I'm not even completely sure how one would get another servant onto the same pact. I mean, since I'm not technically the master the pact is with we might be able to bend it a little."

"Please, there has to be a way."

Irisviel thought, "We'll need to get him access to the connection between you and the command seal and work from there. However, there's only one way I can think of to do that and I'm not sure if you'd be willing."

"Anything."

"The ritual for mana transference slightly destabilizes the servant involved and forms a deep connection with the partner. I've never heard of it done between servants but the mechanics of it don't prohibit it."

Saber looked a little confused, "That sounds perfect, why wouldn't I-"

"It involves having sex. You would need to have sex with Marrok. Are you okay with that? I don't know how that talk the two of you went..."

Saber blushed, looked at Marrok before turning an uncomfortable glance back to Iri, "I won't kill my knight by being prudish."

"I'll do my best to make sure both of you can stay in the contract. At minimum try to keep Marrok on just my command seal. If you can't share the contract though, it would mean you have to go through him to win."

"I assumed I would anyway."

"You mentioned him coming back with you. If Marrok is ended in this war, there's no guarantee the grail can do the same miracle for both of you. Especially considering this Marrok will be part of the mana needed to complete it"

Saber frowned, "We'll cross that bridge when we get there."

"Alright. If you're sure, I'll need you to start getting undressed.'

Saber blushed, but stood, untying her hair first. As her hair dropped she looked at the makeshift ribbon she'd gotten from Marrok. Like the situation it was now sullied by Marrok's blood that had been on her hands.

Iri noticed the state of her, and motioned to the adjoined room, you can clean yourself up first in you like. There's a washroom over there. I'll help Maiya undress Marrok.

Saber's view jolted up, "You shouldn't. Remember, in his servant form his transformation is tied to clothing. He'll change."

"Right, we'll just have to do this with most of his clothing still on then."

LEMON (AKA SEX SCENE) WARNING! Skip to the other bold lettering to skip H-Scene.

Saber retreated into the washroom, stripping off her jacket, tie, and business shirt. She wasn't endowed enough to require a bra, but it was still impossible to mistake her for a man with her bosom laid bare as it was. She slid the pants of her suit and her underwear down her slender hips in one go, revealing a toned and shapely rear. She looked self-consciously at her many muscles but it was just shyness, her form was fine. Smooth, soft but tone, and flawless, an elegance that begged to be caressed and loved. She stepped into the shower just long enough to wash the blood from herself, and to take a moment to ready herself mentally. Then dried her body and hair before stepping back into the other room.

Iri smiled, "You are beautiful Saber."

Maiya nodded without saying anything.

Saber hid her body with her hands, and noticed Maiya 'preparing' Marrok with no expression on her face. It was clinical, but the sight (both of her doing that with her hand and what she was doing 'that' to) naturally made her uncomfortable, "Is it really necessary for her to do that?"

Iri looked apologetic, "I didn't think you'd be comfortable with it. Plus I need you to do something else... something more embarrassing."

Saber fidgeted, "W-what?"

"This ritual requires the exchange of fluids. So he needs to take in some of yours... from down there."

Saber flushed red, "I- I um... don't know what that entails."

Iri turned to Maiya, "Maiya, could you please help her? I don't feel comfortable engaging more than I have to in this."

"Yes, of course." Maiya strolled over to Artoria and gently grabbed her arm, leading her over to the head of the bed, "You will need to sit across his face."

"W-what?"

"Please. It is embarrassing but it is for his sake. I can't do this for you. I can help if you need me too."

"That won't be necessary." Artoria swallowed hard and straddled Marrok's face.

"Now you will need to stimulate yourself."

"Stimulate?!"

Maiya took Artoria's hand and guided it down. Saber jerked her hand back. So instead Maiya moved her own hand where it needed to go and started doing what needed to be done, causing Saber to jump, "If you require assistance I will provide."

"N-no. I don't n-need assistance thank you."

Maiya got the slightest, but very wolf-like grin on her face as her hands went artistically to work, "I do not see you doing it yourself. So I shall continue."

On that she nibbled on Saber's ear, causing her to release what was almost a squeak. Irisviel weaved some magic and tried not to get distracted at the escapades in front of her. She also hoped the mana Marrok was being provided didn't wake Marrok up, as he would certainly flip out at what nonsense was going on right then.

Especially considering Maiya's wolf-like nature was growing too excited and the woman had unbuttoned her own shirt and unclasped her bra, baring her more ample breasts to Saber's shock.

"W-what are you doing?"

Maiya intensified her 'assisting' of Saber with one hand, "You need to be as unstable as possible for this to work, my lady. Forgive my curtness."

Maiya took Saber's hand gently, and put it into her own pants, guiding it into forbidden places.

"If your hands are free... we should escalate your unease to advance the process."

Saber just obliged, perhaps caught up in the heat of the moment or just wanting to get his weirdness over with, she wasn't totally sure herself. It was not long though before Artoria's body rocked as a jolt of pleasure shot through it, causing her to convulse. Maiya grinned a predatory grin and moved down Marrok's body, taking that part of him in her hand again and again assisting with the process to come.

"It's time for the next part is it not, Irisviel?"

Iri swallowed hard, trying her best to not to get too into the eroticism she was witnessing. She must certainly should not join in. It would make forming the contract easier... but she wasn't comfortable with that. That was to much, "Y-yes."

"I will ready his penis for you then, my king." it was then that Maiya added her mouth to the equation. Slowly at first, then more intensely. All the time looking tauntingly at Saber, as if claiming territory.

Artoria crawled down the bed, growing frustrated at this she-wolf's teasing. It was almost like she was challenging her, "I don't need your assistance, Maiya."

Maiya sat up, "Oh? Would you like to do it yourself this time? Come then."

Saber reluctantly placed her hand there and set to the task clumsily, Maiya gently taking her hand and guiding it to help refine her technique.

Maiya found herself a little insulted though, as while she had done well, Marrok seemed to instinctively react more to Artoria's touch than hers. "He should be ready now."

Artoria hesitated, nervous.

So Maiya challenged her, "Would you like me to demonstrate?"

Artoria glared, fire in her eyes, "No, certainly not."

On that note, Artoria mounted Marrok's waist and prepared to give herself to him.

Maiya warned, "Slowly. Don't just charge in."

With that advice in mind, Artoria began. There was a rush of pain and pleasure as the pair of servants connected, Maiya advising her on how to continue once she gathered herself again. Soon she lost herself in the rocking motion as it started feeling less painful and more pleasurable. The main body of the ritual was underway, and Saber could feel her mind fading away into pleasure and her conscious intruding upon her sexual partner's as she leaned forward and kissed him deeply on the mouth. The mana transference had begun.

LEMON (AKA SEX SCENE) OVER! It is no safe to read until you see another warning.

Her mind fading into the past during the throes of the ritual, Artoria found herself in the woods, running at high speed. Her heart was pounding heavily in fear as she weaved through the trees, the sound of hooves gaining on her. Suddenly, out of a dense clump of foliage erupted a man in black armor on horseback wielding a spear.

Sir Agravain?

Not in control of her body she cut her speed slightly and darted under the leaping horse, catching the knight completely off guard. The thought crossed her mind that she could hamstring the horse right then and down the rider, butt it was dismissed. There was no need to hurt these knights. They just thought he was some dangerous beast.

He? These knights? Why had she briefly not known them? They were her knights. Artoria tried to shake her head clear but she couldn't. However, when the rear hoof came down on her tail thanks to the hesitation, she yelped in pain before the hoof lifted and she was free. It was then that Artoria finally pieced what was happening together. She was seeing Marrok's past. This was when she first met him. Despite the miscalculation it took another ten minutes of chase to catch the wolf. Even then it was only because Artoria had charged ahead and come very close to stabbing the beast with a hunting spear, but the wolf had grabbed it and yanked it.

At the time, the other knights were dismayed when they saw their king fall from his horse and more so when the wolf stopped and approached him. Since Artoria was in his head, she discovered what she had suspected was true: he hadn't intended to dismount her and was concerned. It got him caught though, the other knights encircling the wolf and trying to force him back with spears. The wolf refused to not sniff at Arthur though, but once he confirmed there was no blood he backed off, whining.

It was strange seeing herself from the outside, raising her hand, "Wait a moment! He had me dead to rights there. If he had wanted he could have rushed me and killed me before any of you reached me!"

"Sir, he just tore you from your horse!"

Marrok lowered his body and inched forward. The knights tensed, but Artoria ordered them to ease back and wait to see what it would do. It continued forward and stopped outside biting rage but well within range of her spear, raising his haunches a little She lifted it and drew closer, and the wolf only whined when she tested it with small motions at him.

Agravain found this curious, "Is it begging for its life?"

Galahad noted, "Look closer. With it's hindquarters raised like that it looks almost like the wolf is bowing to the king."

The Artoria of then enjoyed the idea that a wild animal respected her kingship. She took one hand, a fateful hand, off her spear and reached out, palm up to indicate she would not pose a threat. Then when she neared his head, the king let the wolf sniff her palm. Which the wolf proceeded to lick and nuzzle. Saber could read the thoughts going through his head, as he was desperate to convey he was her loyal subject. He knew there was no telling her he was a nobleman in her kingdom before his wife's then recent betrayal, but he could at least convey this. Though he was shocked that everyone had referred to such a beautiful human girl as a man.

The king laughed, much to the shock of all her knights, who had never heard their king laugh in such an innocent way. Or any way really, "I do not think this is the man eater we are looking for, unless he ate them with its tongue. I think I shall keep it and train it."

Agravain walked his horse closer, "Sire, are you-"

The wolf promptly weaved around Artoria and growled at Agravain, as if protecting the king from him. He clearly held a grudge over the horse thing. Though the two would later actually get along fairly well.

Galahad chuckled, "Agravain, I don't think that wolf likes you very much."

The knight in question walked his horse back a bit, and the wolf immediately sat next to Arthur and relaxed completely. Artoria stroked his head.

"I supposed it is settled then."

Lancelot spoke up, finding something quite odd, "Isn't that wolf larger than it was a moment ago?"

Saber suddenly felt herself fall out of the memory and into darkness. When she found her footing again, she was in a cave. Looking down, she found that she had no body at all, not even Marrok's. What was this? There was one passage, beyond which she could hear the rattling of chains. Behind her was another way, but collapsed. So, forward she went towards the sound.

The sight that awaited her a the other end was astounding, a chamber bigger perhaps than the entire castle she had been staying in during the Holy Grail War, but more mind boggling were the chains, easily as thick as the torso of a horse, all leading to a single, ungodly huge wolf. Runes covered the things shoulders, head, and paws and all save a ribbon wrapped around its neck every limb was bound in the enormous chains. The wolf, easily as large as a dragon, exuded anger and power, and loneliness.

"What are you?" Saber was shocked when her voice actually came out.

The wolf moved its eye, because it could not move its head from how extensively it was bound to the spot, "Ah, a dragon visits. How nice. I never thought to share my chamber with another again."

"What is going on? This cannot be one of Marrok's memories. No creature like you exists in this world."

"Ha. Look again. Surely the Grail has supplied you with knowledge of other regions' tales?"

Artoria looked over the wolf again, stopping on the most out of place detail. The ribbon, "The Fenris wolf? Why is a demigod of Norse legend within Marrok?"

The wolf chuckled, "I am not. I am simply a representation of his innermost being. I imagine if he is within your mind he is seeing a famous dragon whose story you have come across in your time."

"What does this mean? That an avatar of the end of the world represents Marrok? I don't believe you."

"Does a famed dragon represent you? Nay. Though you share its blood and Marrok shares mine. For I am the father of all wolves. My fate is the fate of all my bloodline. To be born, to live among man, to be chained down, and used as entertainment by those who fear my fang. Even now, Marrok's chain has been yanked, his neck bloodied."

Fenrir jostled in momentary anger, causing one of the chains hanging from him to slide around, revealing itself to have already been broken before Artoria arrived.

"Even you are no different. You thought, just now, what it means if I, something this terrible within him, breaks all of these chains."

"I was not. I trust Marrok!"

"Lies! Mankind can never think of us as anything but toys and playthings! Your mythology is littered with tales of wolves as the embodiment of all evil. Even the gods of man are no different. I did nothing but serve among them with honor as their hunting dog. When prophecy of their fall loomed, they cast the blame on me and made a game of binding me in hell!"

"Marrok is not just a toy to me! He never has been!"

"Yet when he crippled the knight that betrayed him, you were not the one to come to his defense, you raised a club to strike him."

Saber paused, gritting her teeth at the memory.

"Your first instinct was that he had gone mad. That he was just a beast!"

"NO! I was trying to protect one of my knights!"

"Marrok was not one of your knights? Even after all the work he did, the good he did, the times you shared... he was just a misbehaving dog to chain and strike!"

"NO! That's not true! I hesitated! I had stopped!"

"Would you have kept going if Merlin hadn't spoke up?"

Saber's mind was assailed by the look of betrayal on the Marrok's face at the sight of the raised club. It was like being impaled on a pike from heel to crown. She then recalled how the blood soaked wolf had lowered his body to the ground with raised haunches as if bowing.

Fenrir sneered, "More chains. Should I wake him in the world of the living and show you what he is like when he is reduced only to instinct? In his current state, he'll be down to the most basic building blocks of what he is. Are you afraid?"

Saber's mind was puled back to the intimate physical connection between her and Marrok, she didn't notice that Irisviel and Maiya had both stepped out to let the ritual play out, and perhaps give them some privacy for it. Trying to compose herself in the waves of pleasure coursing through her again, she stopped and looked down at her partner.

His eyes opened, his breathing course. He was conscious, but barely. The wolf-knight growled and rolled her beneath him, his eyes fierce with predatory lust and longing. They were the eyes a wolf that was about to tear prey to pieces. Saber's heart skipped, fear coursing through her veins. Right after though she took a breath and realized that even while not capable of reason, her knight was waiting.

She opened her arms, leaving her body exposed, and smiled, "Marrok..."

Even as hungrily as he proceeded, as much zeal, and strength as he proceeded with, even without his wits about him. Sir Marrok's actions were in service to his king. The waves of ecstasy from this new, even more intense bond were almost too much for Artoria to take, and he mind was driven back into the past.

Saber found herself watching herself discussing Marrok with Merlin in his workshop. Her brain, or rather Marrok's brain, was overloaded with thoughts of the recent events though. Mostly of his king's actions over the course of his two outbursts. Saber got his take on the scene with the club. The rage that had been coursing through him halted barely by the command from his king to stop, then the heartbreak when he saw his king not understanding him. Then however, a strange feeling pulsing through him when Artoria's raised arm relaxed, her expression conflicted and pained. She had stopped herself before Merlin had said a word, considering Marrok's actions herself rather than striking him. Sure she was hesitant to not punish the attack and continue trusting Marrok, but it was clear she wanted to. As he sat in the workshop barely hearing what was being said, he was trying to figure out what that strange new rush of feeling was. It had not been there before.

Saber realized that was when Marrok had started falling in love with her as Marrok played the events of the past few days over and over in his mind. The taking of Marrok to his treacherous wife, Artoria questioning her and then ordering Marrok brought in.

"If it was just a random attack as you say, he shouldn't care about you. He's been totally calm since then."

At the sight of former wife, Marrok had become immediately enraged and charged her.

"NO! PLEASE! He's a demon! A skinwalker! He's haunted my famil-"

Artoria simply let Marrok have the woman, who finally spoke of the truth, that 'Cavall' was her former husband, and how she had betrayed the man, though leaving out her other crimes. By the time they got Marrok to stop, her face was practically gone. The king had her healed, though her face was too far gone, and had banished her and her latest husband from the kingdom.

The king had also patted his head, "If that's the case, let us see if Merlin can help. If he can give you a new human form, I will make sure to right this wrong she has inflicted upon you."

In the lab, Marrok wagged his tail at the memory.

Merlin went over to one of his boxes and started unlocking it, "I've suspected something like that was the case. After all, like I have said only humans, demons, and phantasmal beasts can have sorcery traits, and he is not any of those. Plus, though I gathered he was demon-touched, that trait isn't one a demon can have. It stands to reason he could have developed one while he was human."

"The last lord of that land was a generous and good man from what I gather. If that was Cavall before the treason then his behavior in this form makes sense."

Merlin looked back at the king as he opened the box, "Let me reiterate, Cavall is actually a wolf. He somehow awakened to his origin, which probably made him very intelligent, and then somehow gained the powers of a demon; but he is still a wolf."

"He lived as a man quite well it seems. I would prefer such a noble creature choose which form he wishes to live in. He deserves it."

Marrok proceeded to have a tense feeling in his chest and a dumb, pleased with himself look on his still canine face.

Merlin grinned at that and reached into the box, pulling out what amounted to a man-suit, he then lied, "Fortunately I was working on constructing a homunculus for manual labor, the skin is done and should pass enough as a real skin to function as a body."

Merlin strode over to Marrok and set it in front of him, an oddly convenient opening in the back that Marrok could easily fit in. The wolf looked at the skin, then looked at Artoria, then proceeded to drag the skin into the next room.

The king was confused, "Where is he taking that?"

Merlin chuckled, "I think I might have neglected to consider modesty. He likely doesn't want to change in front of you."

"Why not?"

A male voice that was pleasing to Artoria's ears even when she first heard it, came from the next room, "Lord Merlin, do you have any clothes by chance?"

Merlin laughed, "Yes, I apologize. I have a pair of pants here at least."

The mage went int the next room and handed over the clothing.

"Well, you fill out that body well. It suits you I think. It's as if it were made for you."

Merlin came out a moment later with a tall, athletically built man that was neither outright handsome or ugly, but closer to the former. His hair was similar in color to the darkest parts of his fur as a wolf. He had a look and way of moving that seemed humble but confident. That you could be comfortable around but still admire. At the sight of him, Artoria swallowed hard, biting back a response she had long thought squashed after assembling so many Knights of the Round that were ludicrously handsome. There was something about this look though that disarmed that defense. In the moment she assumed that he just looked like someone you could relax around, but knowing Merlin, it was probably intentional.

Years after the Fourth Grail War, Saber would figure out Merlin's lie, and that he had in fact built Marrok's new human form very specifically. He was 'her type'.

Saber found herself forward in time, looking at a familiar armored figure that made her recoil instinctively. Mordred. This was not the Battle of Camlann however, and they weren't even sparing. Marrok was healing the knight's wounds.

"I thought I taught you how to do this yourself?"

"Agh... I don't have any talent for that stuff so just do it for me!"

Marrok reached out and flicked her helmet, which rang much to Mordred's chagrin.

"Ow! Why do you always do that, you freakin' mutt?"

"Keep giving up on things that are hard but worth doing and you'll suffer worse pain than that."

"What difference does it make if I can heal myself? We have so many healers!"

"That's why you still have a long way to go before you are truly a knight."

Mordred growled.

"A knight's duty is to protect his lands and his people. You are supposed to be a hero. What will you do, Pup, when one of the people you save is dying in front of you and you are the only one there?"

Mordred grumbled, "I dunno. Fail to heal them I guess?"

"All because you gave up because it was hard." Marrok lectured, "And what if the person dying in front of you is Arthur?"

Mordred let out a quiet, pained noise. Marrok proceeded to flick her helmet again. "Agh! Stop that, you stupid dog! I'll gut you one of these days when you try that shit!"

"I should be careful then, because a hot-headed puppy like you won't be able to heal me."

Mordred took a swing at the man, who ducked it and grabbed the offending arm, shoulder throwing the heavily armored knight. It was strange, Saber had never known they interacted enough to be this close, but there was very much a mentor and student vibe between them, and Marrok was fond of him. In fact...

"You are also very light by the way. You should eat more if you are going to refuse to take off that armor. You'll melt away, little girl."

Saber's mind was intruded upon by another memory as Mordred charged from the ground at Marrok in annoyance. It overlapped and changed into the same knight charging Marrok on a battlefield.

"I'll kill you if I have to, King's Hound!"

Their swords clashed.

"Don't make me! Join me! Arthur isn't worthy of the throne!"

"I won't let some rabid pup bite the hand that fed it!"

Mordred shoved the knight away, furious, "STOP CALLING ME A PUP!"

Marrok slashed at the traitor knight with Secace as she charged again, managing a small wound on her hand, "You won't listen! No matter what I tried to teach you... have you learned none of it? This is the wrong path!"

Marrok easily disarmed the less skilled swordsman and threw her to the ground. Without the benefit of her great strength and speed over most knights, her barbaric sword-style was no match for a refined swordsman. Mordred was done, her helmet flying off and as Marrok loomed over her ready to plunge his sword down and finish her, he hesitated. Not because she looked so much like Arthur, but because for a moment, in Mordred's sorrowful and scared expression he saw his son... bleeding out in front of him... impossible to save. He couldn't... He couldn't do it. The only thing that hit Mordred were tears. Marrok could not kill his student.

Mordred could however kill him, reaching her sword and lashing out, blasting Marrok's human form away in one surge of mana that could have killed an army. She rushed him before the now wolf could recover, not taking note of how sickly the wolf form had become in the time estranged from Arthur. The raging knight simply stabbed Marrok, pain shooting through her own heart as she cried out and tried to kill that emotion by stabbing the wolf in front of her over and over and over again until both died. Then, soaked in the blood of the closest thing she had ever known to a real parent, she let out a wail of anger and despair that could rend a man asunder. Mordred might have been redeemable at some point, but she was far too gone now.

"ARTHUUUUURRRRRRR!"

As Artoria faded from the memory, she heard the voice of the fake Fenris wolf, "This is how it always ends. Man, wolf, demon. Always this."

Artoria returned to the present moment, Marrok still on top of her, looking as if his sheer want for her might be the death of him, like he may never be able to separate himself from her. He seemed to have regained more of his senses though.

"This has to be a dream. A wonderful dream."

Arthur, pulled her knight close and kissed him deeply, "You don't have to wake up just yet."

(Author Note: Another sex scene would be here, but I already don't know if I'll get moderated for the first one, so just moving on. Basically it would have been Marrok showing Artoria with all sorts of varieties of foreplay and making sure she was 'taken care of' a few times before proceeding once again with full on sex. I might throw it in later).

The ritual had begun in the early morning, but when Marrok woke again after hours of carnal worship to his goddess of war and beauty, it was sunset again. As the moon began to rise in the sky, he could feel his wolf form... no something else, perhaps the lycanthropy... trying to claw out of his human guise. He also felt strangely weak, though he could tell his injuries were mostly okay. Though he'd need more time to recover completely.

He recalled his battle, and panicked for a moment, looking for his master. What he found was Saber sitting on his bedside. Buttoning up her shirt?

"Artoria? What? You...? Was last night-"

"A dream?" Artoria didn't turn to look at him, "Think of it as one."

"What's going on? How did I get here? Why did we?"

"You were badly wounded... dying. This was the only way to save you."

"Where's Kariya?"

It was then Artoria turned, an angry look on her face, "Marrok, you don't remember? Maybe you weren't conscious at the time."

"What do you mean?" Marrok stood up, and promptly fell back down, "Why can't I feel his mana? This is different mana... strained. I'm not getting much at all."

"Marrok... when you lost to Archer, Kariya abandoned you."

"What?"

"He's Archer's master now. Kariya broke your contract. We've managed to slip you onto Irisviel's command seal as far as I can tell, but that's a temporary fix."

"I can't believe this. Why would he?"

"I wouldn't lie to you. He's sided with Archer. Perhaps he thought you were dead."

Marrok stood once again.

"Sit, Marrok. You need to recover and I won't have us both draining our masters of mana. Especially given Irisviel's condition."

"What's wrong? She assured us she wold be okay."

Saber looked away, "She's a homunculus designed to serve as the vessel for the Holy Grail. Once enough servants have died, she will become the grail. If her efforts saving you worked as she meant them to, she is your only master now. When she becomes the Grail I don't know what will happen to you. We may not get to have that duel after all."

"Well, if I fade away, she can still grant you your wish right? I'll be fine either way. Maybe we can even include her in the wish?"

Arthur shook her head, "Irisviel is pretty sure that won't work. You'll be sacrificed to the Grail as a cost for saving Camelot. There's no way to bring you along. But I can save the you from then. I swear I'll save that you!"

Marrok sat down hard, "That won't be me though. After tonight... no matter what. I die. None of this will matter anymore because you'll be off in another timeline with another me, saving Camelot."

"Marrok..."

"I won't ask you to use your wish to save me if it means giving up your dream. It would be beautiful though. We could live a good life here with Sakura, we could raise her up right."

"I can't. I have a responsibility to Britain."

Marrok nodded, "I know... but... if you didn't...would you have stayed with us? Maybe marr-"

"Don't say such things... it only makes this whole tragic affair all the more painful to bear."

"I'm sorry."

Artoria stood, "Rest. I need to go check on Irisviel and finish preparations for what's to come. It's pretty clear we're nearly at the end of this war."

"Right. Good luck."

Saber nodded and excused herself, breaking her own heart a little. Some part of her felt like this would be the last time she ever saw him, but she pushed that aside and made her ways towards Iris' quarters and the other side of the castle. When he got to the hall, she saw the door open and could smell blood. Of course she bolted down the hall and into the room. There she found Kiritsugu instead of Irisviel and Maiya with a hole in her stomach.

Maiya weakly looked to Saber, "Kirei Kotomine... took her."

Kiritsugu looked to Saber with fury and dismay, "Where were you? I left you to protect them!"

"I was on the other side of the castle... tending to Marrok."

"Get him up! We need him to track them right now!"

Arthur turned and went back across the grounds as fast as her feet could carry her. When she barged into the room however... Marrok was gone.

Next Chapter: Berserker

Author's Note: Full moon chapter next chapter! WOOOOOHOOOO! I am so freakin' hyped! This will be great! Crazy stuff awaits! The climax (not the kind in this chapter hehe) looms on the horizon! Review while I run screaming in excitement down the street! WOO!