While Galahad and her mother had been permitted to live, Lancelot wanted nothing to do with Elaine or their daughter at first. When his illegitimate daughter was born, he gave her into the care of her great aunt, who was the abbess of a nunnery. There, his daughter would be cared for, under a sturdy roof, food to eat, simple as the meals were, and even have the chance to receive an education, a rarity for girls in those times. But most importantly, it kept her, the offspring of Elaine's deception, locked far away from the court at Camelot.
Galahad was raised to be a sister of the Church, like the other girls at the nunnery. She had no lack of piety. Indeed, her devotion exceeded that of long time sisters, and in spite of the sordid circumstances of her birth, Galahad was unimpeachably pure in word and deed. Had she remained in the Church, Galahad would have surely been named a saint.
But Galahad was also something of a tomboy. Hearing stories of her father's bravery, and those of the other knights of the Round Table, she aspired to become a knight herself one day. The abbess spoke to young Galahad, and found that the girl's desire was earnest and selfless. Rather than her own personal glory, she sought only to protect others and to serve God in her own way as a knight. Impressed, the abbess began to realize that young Galahad truly had a special calling. And so the girl was permitted to begin training in the necessary skills of a page and a squire, so long as she did not let her other duties slide. A tireless worker, Galahad took it all in stride.
But if there was a part of her wish that was in the least bit selfish, it was that young Galahad wanted to meet her father…
Daylight broke, rousing Ayaka from her dream. Groggily, she fumbled for her glasses, only to feel the texture of a tatami mat under her fingertips.
Oh… that was right… the recollection of the battle in the warehouse last night came to her. She had lost her glasses, and until she could pick up a replacement pair, she wouldn't be able to hide her grouchy self behind them.
No… that was just another form of running away, of being false to herself. While she had started wearing glasses shortly before the Fourth Holy Grail war as she developed myopia, it was only in the aftermath of her father and her sister's deaths that they had become a crutch, a totem that would let her shut off her strongest emotions and isolate herself from the world as she miserably awaited what she had once viewed as her inevitable death.
But she had survived: Lancer's attack, Berserker, Caster, and then the trap in the factory. She could recall the righteous anger she had felt when she challenged Misaya last night. It was still there, a wellspring of determination waiting to be tapped. Her stubbornness, to not simply lie down and die, but to keep fighting even if she was weak, wasn't something she should be ashamed of; it was her greatest source of strength.
Gently placing her fingers over her eyes, Ayaka concentrated, Reinforcing them to correct for her myopia. Opening them, the room around her was clearer than it had been before, its details even crisper than when she wore her glasses.
Only then did it strike her that this was the second night in a row that she had slept at Shirou's house rather than her own. She had been so exhausted after the fight last night that she could barely remember arriving here… but the tatami mats should have been the first clue that this wasn't her own western-style bedroom.
Even after her verbal abuse, he still welcomed her in his home. She shook her head. She had called him an idiot, and sometimes he rubbed her the wrong way, but Shirou had a good heart, which only made her angrier whenever he tried to throw his life away.
They had saved each other's lives last night, so they could call it even on that front. But he had given her so much besides already. Was she intruding upon his hospitality by continuing to stay here? He didn't seem the type to kick her out, much less complain about her presence. She wanted to do something for him in turn, but what?
Shirou was already up as she came out of the guest room. She expected Sakura to arrive at any moment, but the girl was curiously absent.
The news was on, and Shirou seemed to be watching it intently. Quietly, Ayaka approached to get a better look for herself.
"An abandoned factory in Shinto burned down last night," the reporter said, the ruins visible behind them. "The fire has been contained but is still smoldering this morning, and it will be some time before a cause can be officially identified, though it is suspected to have been arson. This has led to new calls for the city government to demolish derelict structures that may pose a fire hazard."
"In other news, in the latest in a string of unexplained deaths, a student, Matou Shinji, was found deceased this morning."
"He didn't make it," Shirou said, his eyes downcast.
"They would have mentioned it in the story about the warehouse if he had died there, so keep listening," Ayaka urged, shushing Shirou.
"It is believed that he was on his way home when he died, but there is no evidence of an altercation."
"He was murdered," Shirou murmured.
"Matou Shinji attended Homurahara Academy and was the vice-captain of the archery club there. Grief counselors will be available at the school for any students who need them. He is survived by his sister, Sakura, and their grandfather, Zouken."
Shirou turned off the television.
"Shinji used to be my friend," he said. "I know you only saw the bad side of him, Ayaka, with all of his unwanted advances… and even I can't forgive him for killing all those people. But he wasn't always like that. Once, he was a good person. We met in middle school, while I was helping someone with some task. He stayed with me until it was done and told me 'You may be an idiot, but at least you do good work!' From there, we began hanging out a lot together. But something changed about him. Eventually, we grew more distant from each other, and…". He shook his head. "I can only imagine how Sakura's taking the news."
Ayaka couldn't bring herself to chastise Shirou now. He had known Shinji better than she had. "Forgive me if this is insensitive," she started carefully, "But if Shinji's dead, doesn't that mean that Rider will soon disappear as well?"
Shirou sighed. "True, Rider won't keep killing people." He clenched a fist. "But I didn't want anyone to die! I failed to save Shinji. And Misaya will…"
"You're too kind, Shirou. I mean, I don't really want to kill anyone either… but you heard Misaya. She's backed into a corner, and can't be reasoned with. That's the second time she's tried to kill me, and then there was how she planned to torture you…. Yet you're concerned about her?"
"I want to be able to save everyone. That was the wish my Dad passed onto me before he died, the dream he was never able to achieve."
Ayaka scowled.
"I'm sorry," Shirou said, realizing his mistake. "My Dad is a sore subject for you."
"It's okay." She shook her head bitterly. "Maybe your father was trying to atone in his own way for all the damage he caused and the lives he took as the Magus Killer. It doesn't mean I'll forgive him for any of it. And then I see what he taught you. I mean, it could have been far worse… you could have been the second Magus Killer. It's fine as an ideal… but it's just a dream, not something that can work in reality. If you risk yourself trying to save Misaya because you feel bad about what happened to Shinji, she'll just kill you for your trouble. So why?" A tear rolled down her cheek.
"I couldn't accept that I had lived when so many others had died on night of the fire," he told her. "I ignored their cries for help to save myself. Everything else that I had from before was burned away, but I was left with that guilt. My Dad's dream gave me a reason to go on."
"It's funny," Ayaka said. "I mean, that's we'd be here together, commiserating. But it's also cruel. I guess that's fate though. You wouldn't remember firsthand, but you know that we knew each other before the fire."
Shirou nodded. "I remember when you visited me in my hospital room. They said they had found someone who knew me, and that it might help my memories come back. But I didn't recognize you, and you clammed up as soon as you saw my Dad. You never really talked about it since."
"It was just a chance encounter in the park," Ayaka continued, looking away. Inwardly, she cursed herself. Her stubbornness might be a source of strength, but this memory made her vulnerable once more. It was a cherished shard of happiness from before everything went wrong, a faint but ever-present feeling within her. But this particular shard also cut deep, like glass into her heart, and it hurt.
"I was feeling lonely, so you played with me for a little bit. That's it," she said, cutting herself off as she raised walls around her heart once more. She was being too careless around Shirou without her glasses. "It's not like I knew anything else about you, save that your name was Shirou," she added after an awkward moment. "I don't know why I brought that up now."
Misaya's words echoed in her mind, gnawing at her. "…the hero who always has to save the girl the moment he hears her sob story." To Shirou, she was just another person for him to save, wasn't she? Without those memories, he couldn't feel the same way for her as she did for him.
"Don't apologize, Sajyou-san," Shirou said next to her, unexpectedly putting an arm over her shoulder, causing Ayaka to bolt upright.
"Wh-what was that for?" She stammered.
"You seemed down, so I thought…"
"You don't just do that to a girl without warning!"
She heard warm laughter, and turning around saw that Saber was behind them and had witnessed the whole thing.
"She has you there, Master. You shouldn't make a move like that without being sure of where the two of you are in the relationship. It creates all sorts of misunderstandings."
"Did anyone ask you?" Ayaka demanded, her cheeks turning red.
"It's good to see you so lively, Ayaka," the Servant said with an easy smile. "As I told you, I like you better this way, without your glasses."
"And what do you think, Emiya-kun?" She said, rounding on him.
"Sajyou-san…" he said, taking a step back, "sometimes you can be pretty scary this way… but its better than you being glum and timid all the time. You did look cute with your glasses though."
"This isn't fair, double-teaming me like that!"
"I'm serious!"
"Inexperienced as I may be with such things, I think he likes you," Shielder said into her mind.
"You're not helping."
They settled down to breakfast, but the awkward atmosphere remained. A sense of dread crept up on Ayaka once more as they departed together from the Emiya Residence to head to Homurahara Academy. Before, she had simply feared that Misaya might use the predictability of their schedule to ambush them with her Servant. But now that she had seen that Misaya was willing and in fact had killed innocents wholly unaffiliated with the Holy Grail War, she feared for her classmates.
Isemi was waiting by the school's gate, as he often did.
"Good morning, Sajyou-san." He frowned. "I heard the news about Shinji, but I'm glad to see that you're okay." His expression brightened. "You've been spending a lot of time with Emiya-san lately, haven't you?" he said with a good-natured chuckle.
Ayaka froze.
"Isemi-san… why would you say such a thing?" she said slowly.
"What do you mean, Sajyou-san?" Isemi asked, making a good show of innocence.
"Before, you warned me to be careful outside, and later you asked if I was feeling okay when I was visibly shaken. But you should have no reason to connect what happened to Shinji to whether or not I'm okay right now." She had dismissed her suspicions earlier, but now…
Isemi shook his head. "Looks like I was careless. I let my guard down too much around you, Sajyou-san."
"Wait a minute," Shirou says. "Does that mean that this guy…"
"He's Rider!" she hissed. A part of her wanted to run, but she stood firm. Shielder was invisible at her side, ready to protect her should Rider try anything.
"Are you sure, Sajyou-san? I can't sense anything out of the ordinary from him."
"That would be one of my Noble Phantasms," Isemi replied, confirming that he was indeed a Servant. "It allows me to conceal my identity and appear as an ordinary human. My Master's family took care of forging all of the paperwork necessary for me to enroll as a student here."
"Murderer! What are you planning, Rider? Did you kill Shinji?" Shirou demanded. Ayaka held an arm out in front of him, fearing that Shirou would do something suicidal, like charging Rider.
"I've done some terrible things since being summoned to this age, but betraying my Master is not one of them. Really, Shinji had it coming when he decided to dismiss me and head home practically defenseless. I can't say that I ever liked him though."
"What about the students here? Are you planning to take their mana and their lives, just like you did to those workers?" Ayaka pressed.
Rider looked scandalized. "I would never harm the students here."
"You tried to kill me last night!" Shirou retorted.
"That's different. You're a Master." Rider shrugged. "Perhaps it was jealousy on my part as well."
"Jealousy?" Ayaka thought.
"It may be a weakness of mine, but I rather enjoyed the opportunity to slip into an ordinary school life, and I would shatter that by feeding upon students here. But I won't ask for your forgiveness for doing what I had to so that my wish might be realized." He turned.
"Where do you think you're going?" Shirou asked angrily.
"You don't really want to have a fight right here and now, do you?" Rider asked. "Think of how many of your classmates you would be putting at risk in a battle between Servants."
"You're using them as human shields!"
"Yes, I am. But let me give you a tip before I go: the witch who sought to trap you in that mirrored world is hiding at Ryuudou Temple, on Mount Enzou. She's still weak from the wound I inflicted upon her, and is draining the monks there to keep herself clinging to life."
"Why are you telling us this?" Ayaka asked suspiciously.
"Make of it what you will. But you should also know that there's something wrong with that mountain."
"Kotomine told us about how its leylines had been drained by the Reserve System."
"It's something more fundamental than that. Isn't it strange that a Heroic Spirit like Caster could be summoned in the first place? She's a distorted, vindictive Heroic Spirit, which the ritual is supposed to preclude. And there's something lurking under Mount Enzou, subtly tainting its aura. Caster may well be the least of our worries."
Isemi/Rider shimmered, and a moment later he vanished into spirit form.
With Rider's departure, Ayaka and Shirou uneasily entered the school building, Rider's revelation and warning lingering on their minds. The atmosphere of the school was morose, reminding them of how popular Shinji had been in spite of how awful he was, and a school assembly was held in memory of Shinji, while the principal attempted to reassure the student body that they were safe.
Misaya was conspicuously absent. It also appeared that Kuzuki-sensei hadn't come back yet, and the normally irrepressible Fujimura-sensei was depressed by the death of one of her students. One could hardly say that things were normal at Homurahara Academy, or that they would return to how they had been any time soon.
Ayaka and Shirou arranged to meet each other on the rooftop during lunchtime to plan their next course of action. Shirou had wanted to check on Issei, concerned for his friend, and just by looking at him they could tell that Issei seemed unusually tired, which was consistent with Rider's story, but Ayaka had talked him out of doing so. If Caster truly was at Ryuudou Temple, then approaching Issei could be dangerous. Caster would likely be able to forcibly extract information from Issei when he returned home to the temple, effectively turning him into an unwitting spy for her, used to keep tabs on the other Masters. If they showed any unusual interest in the temple or a woman staying there in front of Issei, then Caster would know.
They encountered Rin as they neared the stairs to the rooftop. Rin seemed none too pleased by their presence, and let out a "Hmph!". That was right. Rin liked coming up here during lunchtime, but she still regarded them as enemies. It made Ayaka a little sad, but it seemed that stubbornness was another trait that she shared with Rin.
"Tohsaka-san, wait!" Addressing Rin less formally would feel awkward to Ayaka with the hostility that the other Magus was projecting.
"What do you and Emiya-kun want?"
"We've learned something we think you should know, and would like to exchange information with you." That sounded like something Rin would respond to. It wasn't proposing an alliance, which Rin had rebuffed before, but a transaction, hopefully what a Magus like Rin would recognize as an equivalent exchange.
Rin sighed. "Very well, Sajyou-san. But this had better not be like last time. I swear, if there's an enemy Servant waiting to ambush us again, I'll -"
Rin abruptly cut herself off as the three of them reached the rooftop. There was an unfamiliar man, tall and with wild blonde hair already on the rooftop, facing away from them and looking out over Homurahara Academy. They couldn't yet see his face, but judging from his stature and the casual black jacket he wore, she would have guessed that he was about their age, or slightly older, perhaps in his early twenties. Yet the man had a regal bearing, and his aura simply radiated power.
"No way…"
The man was beyond any doubt a Servant.
The Servant spoke, wholly unconcerned by them. "It is a curious thing to watch them trying to go about their daily lives. Even when one of their own is struck down, they remain oblivious to what is going on around them. Seeing how decadent this world has become disgusted me at first. People lose themselves in the banality of meaningless gossip, or pointless consumption. They lack the spirit that they had in times of old. But in spite of that, I am now filled with an incomparable joy! This war is a splendid thing, heroes from all ages in an exquisite battle to the death for the sake of a miracle! It is a drama that can truly move the soul! That by itself would have been more than enough to sate my boredom, but then —!"
The Servant turned around. Ayaka could now see that he wore a stylish orange shirt under his jacket, but what struck her most were his intense red eyes, which marked him as something far more than human. His gaze focused itself directly upon her, and it took all of her willpower not to wither under it.
"I found a diamond in the rough!" He stepped toward Ayaka.
At once, Shielder and Rin's Archer materialized. Shirou moved protectively between her and the Servant as well. Bound by a physical form, Saber couldn't materialize there unless Shirou were to expend another Command Spell.
The Servant chuckled. "How amusing. I look forward to putting you fellow Heroic Spirits in your place later. But I'm not here to fight right now." His gaze turned down toward Shirou. "Stand aside, Master of Saber. I would have looked forward to challenging your Servant most of all, but without Saber here you're hardly worth my time, nor worthy of her."
Ayaka was afraid of what the Servant might do if Shirou continued to stand in his way for her sake. "Shirou, please," she said, steeling herself as she took a step toward the Servant, whose eyes lit up.
Without warning, the Servant took hold of her hand, raising up in front of her, and bent down slightly to kiss it.
Ayaka's face burned bright red, yet she unable to wrest herself from the Servant's grip or pull herself away from his gaze, rendered momentarily speechless.
"Until I saw you, there has never been such a girl who has so won my approval! Even the radiance of proud Ishtar herself fades before you! Girl, please vow to me that you will put aside this boy and the meaningless prattle of those lesser Heroic Spirits, and become my empress once I have conquered them! I, Gilgamesh, shall give you every luxury and pleasure you could ever desire, and I shall soar through the heavens themselves with you at my side!"
"Wh-what?!"
A/N:
I apologize for the delay in getting out this chapter. Between the publication of the last chapter and this one, I was struck with a plot bunny for a Code Geass and Persona 5 fusion fanfic. It is the nature of plot bunnies that they keep pestering you until you put the idea to page, and now the first few chapters of that plot bunny is published as "Lelouch of the Wings of Rebellion." But at least it was only a month this time instead of four or six.
Gilgamesh's casual outfit in this scene is based on his casual outfit in Fate/Prototype, rather than UBW, though they share some similarities.
This chapter could be said to be a bit of a breather before things start ramping up again. But hopefully, you'll enjoy it all the same.
