I don't own Fate. Fate is the property of Type-Moon, and no financial gain is made from this or is sought. This is for entertainment purposes only.

Divergent Fate

Chapter 8

"It's the White Princess."

"Oh shit…!"

"Rey…!"

"What are we going to do?"

"We're all going to die."

"I need a drink."

"Father I'm scared."

"Where did she come from?"

"Why is she here?"

The murmurs continued to be whispered around her, but Arcueid payed them no heed as she walked down the center aisle, her expression one of childish wonder as she took in all of the magi gathered there. Her eyes widened as she caught sight of an old man walking to meet her. Her steps quickened, as did Zelretch's.

The old man spread his arms, and Arcueid jumped over the few remaining feet to envelop the old man in an embrace. "Grandpa Zel…!" she gushed, the force of her jump staggering the old man and causing the two of them to twirl around twice. "It's been so long!"

"It has hasn't it?" Zelretch responded, and Arcueid smiled up at him before she scowled and reached up, pinching both of his cheeks.

"Come to think of it, you haven't been visiting me at all have you?" she complained, and Zelretch chuckled while gently but firmly removing her hands from his face.

"Oh but I have." He told her with a wink and a pat on her cheek. The vampire pouted, and the sorcerer chuckled again. "You were asleep, and I didn't want to wake you."

Arcueid whimpered while visibly deflating. "Well I was…um…" she fumbled while blushing and poking her fingers together. "…it's just that you see…"

Zelretch chuckled again and placing an arm around her shoulders led her away to a nearby balcony. "There, there…" he told her. "…it's alright, I understand. But as you said it's been a while. So let's talk shall we? I hear that you're seeing a young man…what's his name…Shiki…?"

"What just happened?" David asked while dabbing his forehead with a handkerchief.

"The White Princess arrived…" Miranda said and with all trace of her usual cheerfulness gone. "…embraced the Wizard Marshall, and from what I heard just now, they went off to talk about Her Highness' love life. Did I miss something?"

"No, that sounds just about right." Cattleya said.

"How can you be so calm?" Susanna shakily signed. "That was the White Princess! You know Crimson Moon's daughter, and the most powerful being on the planet…? And she's getting all chummy with the Wizard Marshall!"

"Try getting caught in a Grail war as a child." Cattleya said with a shrug. "It gives a sense of…perspective. And technically he did raise her, and was her guardian given how depleted the True Ancestors were at the time of her birth."

"Well I suppose you have valid points there." Susanna grudgingly conceded, and Cattleya nodded.

"That's right…" she said, trailing off as she saw a most concerned-looking Waver emptying glasses of wine one after the other from an even more concerned-looking waiter. She coughed and gestured to the orchestra (also Association staff embedded into the hotel staff). "…right enough about that…come, music please. Georg Friedrich Handel, Water Music Suite No. 1 in F Major…!"

The orchestra fumbled for a moment, and then began to play. Waver gave a grateful nod to his sister, who nodded back. "Not a bad choice…" Christopher commented.

"I agree." David said.

"Hmm…" Miranda mused aloud. "…so the White Princess is going out with a Human boy…can Humans and True Ancestors…um…do it?"

"I assume that they can." Cattleya said after a moment's thought. "They are physically Human after all, even if they aren't quite Human ability and concept-wise."

"There's only one documented case of a Human and a True Ancestor having children though." Susanna put in. "So while I wouldn't say that a fruitful relationship isn't impossible, it's quite improbable."

David sighed and shook his head. "Star-crossed lovers…?" he said mournfully. "I certainly hope not. Her Highness is as beautiful as the Moon…and her face shines with such innocence! She deserves happiness, and not the fate of Romeo and Juliet."

"Aww…" Miranda said faux-mockingly and with a big grin. "…you're such a romantic."

"I hate Romeo and Juliet." Susanna signed vehemently. "It's so melodramatic."

"Hey…!" David protested. "It is not melodramatic! And it's one of Shakespeare's most celebrated works."

Susanna rolled her eyes. "Just because it's one of his most celebrated works it doesn't mean that it's good." She responded. "That is an ad populum fallacy: just because everyone thinks otherwise, it doesn't make it a valid argument."

"Oh really…?" David countered skeptically. "And pray tell, what is your argument about Romeo and Juliet being melodramatic, hmm?"

"A tragedy is about a great and noble hero rising to the heights of greatness, only to be thrown down at the height of his glory." Susanna replied matter-of-factly. "In so doing, he demonstrates to the audience the folly of pride and hubris, and in the ennobling act of self-sacrificial demonstration of such a lesson, the audience experiences catharsis through sympathetic grief and understanding. Cases in point: Oedipus Rex and King Lear."

"That is the traditional definition of tragedy." Cattleya concurred.

"Precisely…" Susanna said. "…I fail to see tragic heroism in any form within Romeo and Juliet. Just a pair of adolescents falling in love and getting into trouble over it…"

David visibly deflated, much like Arcueid earlier. "You don't have to be so harsh you know." He said, and Cattleya and Susanna immediately looked apologetic.

"Sorry…"

"We didn't mean to hurt your feelings."

"There, there…" Miranda said while patting him on the shoulder. "…we're all friends here, and I'm sure Susanna and Cattleya didn't mean anything personal against you."

"And I assure you…" Cattleya joined in. "…we share your best wishes for Her Highness and her lover."

"Agreed…" Susanna signed. "…she's the last of her kind, and an immortal to boot. A child and happy memories…I believe that those will make the endless centuries to the end worth it all."

The Pentagon nodded as one…until they noticed that one of them was missing. "Where the hell did Christopher go?" Susanna asked, and everyone started looking. They wouldn't have to look for long.

"Why am I not surprised?" Cattleya said, as they spotted their friend hidden behind a veritable forest of ornately-styled hair, heavily-gowned and perfumed feminine forms, and feathered fans.

"I hope he doesn't get himself in too deep." David said worriedly.

"Meh…" Cattleya said while drinking a toast to Christopher. Whether in health or as a farewell David didn't know. "…he can take care of himself."

"And if not…" Susanna signed to Miranda who giggled.

"…that's what the Lord El-Melloi II is for." She said, and the four of them burst into laughter.

"So…" Zelretch asked Arcueid as they found a quiet spot for themselves on a balcony overlooking the hotel gardens. "…tell me about this Shiki."

Arcueid giggled. "Shiki is Shiki." She said much to Zelretch's confusion. "He's a kind person, and he's very selfless. He lives life as it comes, without rushing things. He can be a bit mean at times, and there's something strange about him, but…maybe that's why I'm drawn to him."

"Like a moth to a flame…? Zelretch remarked, and Arcueid giggled again. "Define strange…"

"Well…" Arcueid said while brushing some dirt off of her gown. "…his blood boils at times…hmm…how to say it…oh I know! When we met for the first time, he went berserk and cut me to pieces. It was a real pain to pull myself back together and Chaos was there too…"

Arcueid blinked and paused, and gaped at the sheer killing intent from her grandfather as he began to draw his Jeweled Sword. "He cut you to pieces did he now?" the vampire growled with his eyes alight. "I'll show him how to treat my princess properly."

"No, no, no!" Arcueid said desperately, grabbing onto Zelretch's arm. "It's just that something in his blood went wrong when we first met, and since then he's managed to keep it under control. And besides, it's not like we're completely normal by comparison."

"No…" Zelretch said with a sigh, sheathing his mystic code. "…I suppose not. We're both vampires after all…though thankfully you don't need to drink blood. Me…I'm a Dead Apostle…I have to drink blood from time to time, or I'll die."

"It's getting harder." Arcueid said softly. "Soon I'll have to sleep, just like everyone else, dreaming of Shiki forever. Or I have to face Altrouge…drink her blood…regain my power…but I don't want that. I don't want…I don't want to be like him. I don't want to be like father."

"Even if it means sleeping forever…?" Zelretch asked, and Arcueid nodded without hesitation.

"Yes…" she said. "…I'd rather sleep and dream, never to wake, than become a monster that everyone is afraid of. And if I become a monster, then Shiki…"

"Do you love him?" Zelretch asked her, and her eyes widened briefly before she blushed and nodded.

"Yes…" she whispered. "…I don't know what love means…but this feeling…I don't want to see him sad, or to be hurt, or to lose him. I think…I do love him."

"I'm happy for you." Zelretch said and kissing her on the forehead before hugging her. "You finally understand what it means to be Human. You have become everything I and the rest of your family have hoped for. And I promise you, you won't have to wait long. Soon, the Third Magician will return, and then you won't have to worry about becoming a monster ever again."

"Really…?" Arcueid asked, and the sorcerer nodded.

"Have I ever lied to you?" he asked, and she smiled and shook her head.

"No…" she said while hugging him again. "…you have never lied to me."

Grandparent and grandchild embraced in silence, under the silver light of the Moon (the irony of which they both ignored) and taking comfort in family. Arcueid let the moment drag on, feeling the loneliness of being the last True Ancestor crushing in, and held at bay only by her grandfather's embrace.

"It's like with Shiki…" she thought to herself. "…but at the same time it's different. Zel is Zel, and Shiki is Shiki."

The moment was finally broken by the sound of breaking wood, and sorcerer and princess alike looked over the balcony edge at what had apparently fallen from a tree. "Shiki…!" Arcueid cried out in surprise.

"H-Hi…" he said with a wave, sitting up from where he'd fallen. "…hello to you too, um…grandfather…?"

Arcueid felt something begin to throb in her forehead. "Eavesdropping…?" she asked, and Shiki swallowed and thought quickly before she blew up.

Who would've thought that she'd get all touchy about being eavesdropped on?

"Hey Arcueid…" he said quickly. "…that's a nice dress."

"Eh…?" she said, her anger quickly grounded. "You really think so?"

"Yeah, it shows your figure off very well." He said and making her blush. Zelretch however laughed uproariously, especially as his granddaughter blushed deeply. "Where'd you get it from?"

"Oh this…um…I've always had it…I keep it in the Millennium Castle, but I don't wear it all the time because it can be a hassle…"

Arcueid broke off as another branch broke, and a certain Executor fell from another tree face-down a good distance away…but still within earshot. "Ciel-senpai…?" Shiki said in surprise, and then blanched as he felt Arcueid's killing intent spike above him.

"Ciel…" she ground out, a vein visibly throbbing on her forehead. Even Zelretch looked a bit perturbed. "…you were listening…spying on me and Zel…"

With a growl, Arcueid jumped off of the balcony to pounce on the Executor who barely had time to get to her feet before the vampire was on her. "Ciel-senpai…!" Shiki shouted while rushing to stop their fight. "Arcueid…! Wait…s-stop…!"

"Arcueid…Bow…!"

"Ciel…!"

Dinner was a roundtable affair, with Arcueid and Shiki – hurriedly dressed in a borrowed suit – joining the Wizard Marshall and the Lord El-Melloi II along with other notables at their table. Akiha – who'd arrived fashionably late – had some choice words for her brother breaking into a private, high-class party without an invitation. "It's alright Ms. Tohno." Zelretch assured her. "It was our fault for not sending an invitation to your brother, seeing as my granddaughter has her eye on him."

"Granddaughter…?" Akiha echoed, and Arcueid giggled and waved at her.

"Hello little sister." She said, and the Tohno did all she could to avoid gaping in shock.

"You're the Zelretch's granddaughter."

"Not literally of course…" Zelretch said. "…but I was the one who raised her, and while we haven't been meeting as often as we like, our relationship is along that line..."

"I see."

"Ms. Tohno…" Waver began. "…I understand that there was a certain topic that you wished to discuss with me?"

"Hmm…oh yes, that's right my lord." Akiha answered with a cough. She dabbed her mouth with a paper napkin before continuing. "My lord…what would you say if I proposed that the main line of the Tohno Clan is officially considering aligning itself with the Mages Association?"

"Hmm…" Waver mused aloud as he sat back in his chair. "…I would say that it's an interesting proposal, although I must ask why? And what would either side gain from this proposal?"

"Recently I have found myself at odds with the rest of family." She said. "You are aware of the instability of our bloodline, yes? At this point, the Tohno have at their disposal two Synchronizers, one of whom was…shall we say exploited since my father's time, while the other has been protected."

Waver's face was carefully neutral, but his eyes were very hard. "Shiki…?" Arcueid asked, feeling the young man's killing intent spiking at the mention of his stepfather and what he'd done to Kohaku. "What's wrong?"

"No, it's nothing." He told her with a reassuring smile.

"I have since put a stop to such exploitation…" Akiha continued. "…but the rest of my family are now pushing that I transfer custody of one of the Synchronizers to them. Needless to say, I have no intention of doing so, though I am certain that they are capable of and will be pushing the issue."

Akiha paused, and took a drink of water. "I will be frank my lord." She continued. "I do indeed have a personal interest in this matter. But you know as well as I do that Synchronizers are a stopgap measure. They do not solve the blood-instability problem so much as they avoid it. The Association would have much to learn from exploring this avenue of research, and my family has much to gain from supporting such research."

"Research that might require live experimentation..." Waver pointed out. "…are you willing to submit to a Sealing Designation, Ms. Tohno?"

"Of course not…" she demurred. "…but I have little love for the rest of my family, or at least most of them. I'm certain that we can reach an arrangement…especially since I'm certain that their spies have marked my presence here and now. The die is cast. It won't be long before they officially brand me a blood traitor – given that it is an open secret as to why the Association is taking an interest in this Oriental backwater of ours – and move to eliminate me and to seize Kohaku and Hisui…as well as to take action against the Association. We are now allies of convenience, for good or ill."

Waver's eyes widened and narrowed in quick succession, while Zelretch smiled with satisfaction. "You played us…!" the former accused.

"Akiha…!" Shiki protested as he came to the same realization.

"Kohaku and Hisui are my oldest friends." She said darkly. "Along with Shiki, they are my only family. And as the family head, I will protect them. I am no Makihisa Tohno."

Waver fell silent while Zelretch nodded. "Understandable sentiments…" he said with a glance at Waver who nodded grudgingly. "…however I believe that we should continue this discussion at a later date. Really now, this dinner was supposed to be a celebration, and yet here at our table the mood has gotten so somber."

"You have my apologies for that, Wizard Marshall." Akiha said with a small bow but he waved it off.

"No, no, none of that." He said. "I understand how you feel, and while your means of getting us involved was a bit underhanded, I'm not really one to judge that, am I now?"

There was some laughter from that, given the sorcerer's reputation, and Zelretch turned his attention to Shiki. "Now then Shiki…" Zelretch began, changing the topic. "…why don't you tell us about your relationship with my granddaughter? I have heard that when you first met you cut her to pieces did you not?"

Akiha choked on that. "He did what?" she exploded.

Shiki laughed nervously and scratched his cheek. "Well you see…"

Meanwhile at another table Rin was staring at the high table with a certain degree of contempt. "Is something wrong, Rin?" Tokiomi noticed as he noticed Rin's attention and expression.

"I can understand Arcueid Brunestud and Zelretch…" she answered. "…they might be vampires, but the former is the White Princess and the latter is the Second Magician and a Wizard Marshall: the normal rules don't apply to royalty and to magicians after all. However…the Tohno…? Half-breeds who aren't even magi? The Mages Association is going to the dogs considering who the Lord El-Melloi II is mixing circles with."

"An interesting comment…" Misaya Reiroukan remarked. "…however while you are entitled to your opinion, the Lord El-Melloi II – no matter how you and many others feel about his radical philosophies – is a ranking member of the Association. It is not your place to question his decisions."

"So you're just going to go along with it?" Rin asked.

"Of course not…" Misaya scoffed much to Rin's surprise. "…I too question the wisdom of the Tohno's presence among us…although I am curious as to why they are here as opposed to being angry. The purpose if this conference is an open secret after all. However my point is that here and now is hardly the proper forum to question the Lord El-Melloi II's decision, given that dealing with those half-breeds is part of the agenda, and was decided by the Association Assembly of Lords."

"A fair point…" Tokiomi conceded. "…this is not the right time or place to question the decisions of the lords."

"With that said though…" Misaya continued with a nod. "…while I did not expect them here at this dinner, the presence of the Tohno and their kin would have been a given eventuality, given that their continued status is part of the agenda after all."

Tokiomi nodded his agreement, a motion reluctantly echoed by Rin a moment later.

"Your brother's getting along famously with everyone at their table." Christopher commented.

"More like they're getting along famously with that Tohno boy…" Cattleya corrected. "…well it's not bad. Brother's been getting a lot of stress lately, and it's not like Reines is here to help him deal with it, if you catch my meaning."

There was some laughter at that, except for Miranda who kicked Cattleya under the table. "Hey, what was that for?" Cattleya protested while rubbing her shin. "That hurt…!"

"Don't talk about old people love, least of all over the dining table!" Miranda said chidingly. "It's disgusting."

"Do we have to do this again? They're not that old."

"How old is the Lord El-Melloi II again?" Christopher asked.

"Twenty-eight…" David answered. "…and his wife nineteen if I remember correctly…isn't she pregnant right now?"

"Lucky bastard…or a dirty old man…?" Christopher remarked.

"Hey…!" Cattleya protested.

As Cattleya, Miranda, and Christopher fell to bickering, Susanna and David shared exasperated glances.

Not again…

A/N

True Ancestors are, as a friend of mine put it, 'aliens from the Moon who have Human bodies'. And it's canon that Arc and Shiki have had sex, so…ahem, it's also canon that there's only one recorded instance of a Human and a True Ancestor having a child, though no details are given. I do wish that Arc and Shiki be the second case though, seeing as Arc is, well, immortal, and Shiki will die someday. A child would help mitigate her loneliness, given that she is the last of her kind.

Hints as to Zelretch's plot, with the prophesied return of the Third Magician! The question now is…what does the Third Magician have to do with the White Princess?