Rin caught herself smiling as they jumped from the ferris wheel. It was just like yesterday, when Archer was still her servant during the fifth Holy Grail War. They used to jump from high buildings when they were still observing Fuyuki City and looking for other masters.
Just like yesterday, when we were still inseparable.
Rin stared at Archer, who was concentrating on jumping from building to building until they reached their destination: a high place with a big tree. Archer carefully put Rin on the side of the tree as he smiled at her.
"So what are we going to do here?" Rin inquired as she smiled at Archer, who was looking at the beautiful view.
The place was perfect to see Fuyuki City at night. Rin slowly stood up as she stared at the city with Archer. Everything was so perfect; they could see the buildings and its lights illuminated through the darkness of the evening. The scenery was so immortal that Rin would remember it for the rest of her life.
"We are going to have dinner here," Archer answered as he winked at her.
"Okay, I challenge you to surprise me," Rin said as she sat beside the big tree.
"Your wish is my command, my lady," Archer spoke as if he were a gentleman from the Medieval Ages.
Archer closed his eyes as he spoke, "I wish for this place to have hundreds of candles flying around this place to light the evening."
Suddenly, there were hundreds of candles in that place that made it look as magical as if it was just a dream: a dream where anything could happened, where there was no boundary between fantasy and reality.
Rin smiled as she looked at the candles because she found it romantic. Today was indeed the perfect day of her life, except for the helicopter thing and those girls who flirted with Archer.
"Are you surprised?" Archer inquired as he walked closer to her.
"Well, it was quite surprising," Rin answered as she smiled at him.
"I wish for a perfect set of foods, tables, and chairs where we could eat."
The set of dining table and foods suddenly appeared like those that could be seen in high class restaurants. Archer helped Rin to sit on the chair like a real gentleman as he smiled at her and served her red wine. Rin smiled at him as she sipped the wine.
"This is really good Archer."
"Everything should be perfect for our last dinner together," he answered sadly as he sat on his chair.
They ate dinner together as they talked about the things that happened in the past during the fifth Holy Grail War; Archer told her the story of his final battle with Berseker. Both of them were enjoying each others company.
"I am glad that you were my Master in that war, Rin."
"I am glad that I summoned a stupid Archer like you," she remarked as she stared at him.
He'll be gone soon…
And I can't help but feel sad about it…
Archer smiled at her as if he were making her comfortable.
I'm not sure if ever I will see her again after this…
But this day I had with her was the best day of my life…
When they had finished eating, Archer asked the ring to make the table set vanished.
There was only one hour left before he disappeared in her world forever.
"Rin, dance with me," Archer said as he offered her his hand.
"But I don't know how to dance."
"Really? 'Miss Perfect' doesn't know how to dance?"
"Well… I only excel in academics… I don't like dancing at all…"
Archer held Rin's hand as he pulled her near him. Rin could feel her heart beating fast because she was close him.
He put his hands around her waist as she put her arms around his neck.
"Trust me, okay?" Archer said as he smiled, "Step on my feet, I will carry you in my feet as we dance to the music."
Rin followed Archer's command, and then the song started playing.
Feels like I have always known you,
And I swear I've dreamt about you
All those endless nights I was alone.
She felt like she had known him for years, even if she didn't know his real identity. There were times that she dreamt about Archer, and she was clueless why. All her life she was alone, but he made her feel that she wasn't even just for today.
It's like I've spent forever searching,
Now I know that it was worth it.
With you it feels like I am finally home.
She was looking for something that could give her reason why she existed and now that she had found love in him, she felt like she finally saw her Utopia: her ideal place where she could be happy.
Falling head over heels,
Thought I knew how it feels
But with you it's like the first day of my life.
She had fallen in love with him head over heels. She never felt that way before and she knew that he taught her the meaning of love. And she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. Not just twenty-four hours but she wanted to be with him for eternity.
Coz you leave me speechless,
When you talk to me.
You leave me breathless,
The way you look at me.
You manage to disarm me,
My soul is shining through.
Can't help but surrender
My everything to you.
Whenever he says something sweet to her, she was speechless. She would blush all of the sudden and hide her face so that she wouldn't lose in their game. When he looked at her in her eyes, she couldn't breathe because of her heart beating so fast. He could see the real her, the different side of her that she had been hiding to everyone. Back hen, she didn't realize that she had surrendered everything to him. Her heart was his, and so was her soul.
I thought I could resist you,
I thought that I was strong
Somehow you were different from what I've known.
When he arrived on that day, she thought that she could just ignore him. To be brutally frank, she hated him for waking her up on that evening. But for some reason, she gave him a chance to go on a date with her on that day. She thought that he was just an arrogant brute, but he proved to her that she was wrong.
I didn't see you coming,
You took me by surprise and
You stole my heart before I could say no.
She never thought that this day would come; she didn't expect that he would spend twenty-four hours with her. She was so surprised that she couldn't even say no to him. Then, suddenly, he took her heart and left her breathless. She was in love with him and she couldn't hide her feelings anymore.
The song continued as Rin laid her head on Archer's shoulder.
Falling head over heels,
Thought I knew how it feels
But with you it's like the first day of my life.
"You know, Rin, this is the happiest day of my life. I mean, I never thought that this day would come."
"Yes, I never thought that I would see your stupid face again," Rin managed to answer as she tried to stop herself from crying.
You leave me speechless,
When you talk to me.
You leave me breathless,
The way you look at me.
You manage to disarm me,
My soul is shining through.
I can't help but surrender
Oh no
My everything to you.
"I just want you to know that you really made me happy, and I had hoped that we could have more time to be together," Archer said as he looked at the night sky. He held Rin tighter, not intending to let her go.
"I wish that you could stay a little bit longer."
You leave me speechless.
(The way you smile, the way you touch my face)
Archer touched Rin's face as he smiled at her, trying to hide his sadness.
You leave me breathless.
(It's something that you do I can't explain)
Rin held onto Archer tighter as she hid her face so that he would not see her sadness.
I'd run a million miles just to hear you say my name,
Baby.
"If only I could stay here in this world and be with you, Rin," Archer said as he looked at the stars, "I will, even if I have to sacrifice everything that I have."
You leave me speechless.
You leave me breathless.
The way you look at me,
You manage to disarm me
My soul is shining through.
I can't help but surrender,
My everything to you.
Rin stepped off Archer's feet as the music stopped. She looked at Archer and saw the tears in his eyes. It was the first time that she saw him crying, and she was the reason for his tears.
"I didn't expect this to happen," he said as he tried to fake a smile.
"Me too. I thought that you were just a pain in the head," Rin joked as she walked closer to Archer.
She used her handkerchief to wipe away Archer's tears.
"Thank you," Archer said as he held Rin's hand.
"It is I who should thank you," Rin answered.
"By the way, what time is it?" Archer inquired as he closed his eyes.
"It's 11: 45 PM. You only have fifteen minutes…" Rin couldn't continue what she was saying anymore.
Archer held Rin's hand and kissed it gently. He grabbed her hand and pulled her closer to him as he hugged her tight. He wanted to remember all the details about her: her smile, the sound of her voice, her jade eyes, her kissable lips and the way she reacts whenever he was teasing her. He wanted to stay with her forever, but he would have to fight his fate before that could happen.
You made me realize that my life is not worthless.
He caressed her black hair as he looked up in the sky, hoping to see a shooting star. He didn't believe that a wish could come true just by asking it to a shooting star, but he found himself wanting to believe that there was a miracle that could make him stay with her.
Rin held on Archer tighter. She didn't want to see him go. She never thought that she would feel this way toward a guy, but when he arrived everything changed. She looked at life in a different way and she started to believe that she could be happy again.
You teach me how to love.
Both of them wished for the time to stop moving. But no matter how hard they wished, it would never come true.
"Rin, people say that when you see fire works at night you can make a wish and it will definitely come true," Archer said as he let go of Rin and stared at the sky.
Rin rubbed her eyes, trying not to cry, "Then I want to see fire works right now."
Archer wished on his ring, then suddenly they saw fire works in the sky. They looked so beautiful; probably it was the most beautiful fire works display that they have ever seen. They watched it together as they held each other's hands.
It was 11:55 PM.
"What is it that you wish for?" Archer asked.
"I wished that I can see your stupid face again. When that day comes, I hope that you can stay with me forever."
The fire works display was now over.
He was about to leave.
She was about to be alone again.
Archer walked toward Rin as he smiled at her. For some reason, his arrogant attitude was now back.
"W-Wait! What are you planning to do?" Rin panicked as soon as she saw him smile.
"Well, I think I need a good-bye kiss," Archer laughed slightly as he continued to walk toward Rin.
"A-Archer! S-Stop, you moron!" Rin said as she walked backwards trying to move away from him.
But it was too late; she was cornered because of the tree. So the only thing that she could do was to lean on the tree as she closed her eyes.
She heard his footsteps walking toward her. Then it stopped.
She could feel that he was near her. He leaned toward Rin as he smiled.
Rin's eyes were still closed.
Archer smiled as he kissed Rin's forehead.
"You look so cute now that you are blushing," Archer said as he smiled at her.
Rin opened her eyes; she thought that he would kiss her in her lips. She saw that he was laughing at her.
"I-Idiot! You still manage to make fun of me! I'm going to kill you!"
Archer continued laughing, not intending to listen to her speech.
"Finally, I won in our game!" Archer said as he moved away from Rin, then slowly tears fell down to his cheeks, "It is 11:59 now, isn't it?"
Rin looked at her clock as she started to cry, "Yes, it is."
Archer's body was now starting to vanish from feet upward.
"I sent the life-sized black cat stuff toy and the chocolate I gave you to your house so that you will always remember this day when you spent twenty-four hours with me," Archer said.
"I know. I will cherish those things," Rin answered as she fingered the necklace that Archer gave to her.
"By the way, I ate the chocolate you gave me during our dinner. So we are officially dating. You can't date anyone even if I am gone; you belong to me and only me."
"I'm not planning to date anyone, you idiot!"
"Rin, there's one more thing you need to know before I completely disappear."
All the candles and everything that came from the ring were vanishing like Archer, Rin continued to cry thinking that she would never see him again.
She closed her eyes as the flash backs of her past started.
She remembered when Archer entered her room. She woke up because she sensed the strange aura that was coming from him, and when she saw that it was him she couldn't help but be surprised. Everything was impossible; he wasn't supposed to be there. She remembered him leaning toward her as he said, "I'm here to make your day miserable, my former Master."
She remembered when they helped a child that was lost. Before the boy left them, he talked to Archer. Rin got curious of what they were talking about so she asked Archer about it, and then he answered as he laughed, "I told him that you are my wife and not my girlfriend, and that I will take care of you forever. I was just kidding, but the boy said that when he grows up he will wait for me to die, and then he will marry you. He made me laugh, and both of us were having fun talking about you."
She blushed back then, but she was lucky that she was wearing a helmet. That was when she started feeling something for him.
She remembered when they were in the arcade. She was jealous of those girls who were flirting with Archer, and because of that they had an argument. When Archer started giving stuff toys to the children in the arcade, she couldn't help but admire him. He played many games back then so that he could give her the life-sized black cat stuff toy. But the thing that she would never forget was the moment when he told her that he liked her.
Her knees weakened so Archer carried her.
She remembered when Archer embarrassed her in front of all those people in the amusement park. She wanted to literally kill him so she asked him to go on a place where they could be alone. She used her Gand to shoot him, but he was fast so she had to use reinforcement spell to make herself enhance her ability to run. When he asked Rin not to hate him, her world turned upside down. Archer hugged her for the first time because of that she was speechless. He was sweet, crazy, caring, arrogant, idiotic, and stupid, but she found herself loving him even more because of those unpredictable characters that he had.
Rin opened her eyes to see Archer for the last time.
"I am Shirou in the future."
Rin couldn't believe what she just heard. But she didn't care about his real identity anymore; all she cared about was the Archer whom she spend her twenty four hours with.
"And… Rin… I love you," Archer said as he smiled at her.
His smiled was indeed breath-taking. For the first time, Rin saw his smile without its sarcasm and arrogance. It was peaceful; his eyes were closed as his body completely vanished.
Rin tried to hug Archer but it was too late, his body was gone and she was now alone.
She continued to cry as she held her arms like a child. She continued to cry until there were no more tears that came from her eyes.
She looked at the picture that they took at the amusement park earlier. She was sure that Archer was keeping his copy, but when he vanished he left that picture.
Rin touched the picture and saw his smiling face. Slowly, she hugged the picture as if she was imagining that it was him.
There are some things in life that you can't control…
One day you are holding someone to your arms and the next thing you knew is he is gone…
We can't fight our destiny…
But still…
I hope for a miracle…
I continue to believe that you can stay…
I learn to love you more as time goes by…
I got used to that you are always on my side whenever I need you…
And now that you are gone, I realize how incomplete I am without you…
The only thing that I have now is your picture and the memories that we share together…
For a brief moment we were together looking at the same sky and breathing the same air…
But the thing that I regret the most…
Is that… I wasn't able to tell you that I love you too…
Rin stared at the sky; it was quiet now. No more stupid argument with stupid Archer. No more silly moments with him. No more nonsense joke. No more pain in the head. And lastly, no more love.
The rain started to fall down. Rin closed her eyes and wished for the rain to wash away the pain in her heart. She was thankful that it was raining. Why? Simple, because the rain could wash away the tears in her eyes.
I wish that I can tell you that I love you. If only you have more time to be with me.
I can give everything just to spend more time with you. I wish that you can stay for twenty four more minutes, twenty four hours more or twenty four more weeks.
I'd run a million miles just to see you again.
Archer… I love you…
xxx
"So how was your twenty four hours in her world?" the man who gave him a chance to live again asked.
"It was perfect, except for the fact that she was crying when I left."
"I see. That was bad."
"Listen; may I know why you let me go there?"
"Simple, because your red string is attached to her."
"Red string?"
"The red string of fate."
"…."
"The red string of fate," the man started to explain upon seeing that Archer was clueless of what it was, "Is attached to the pinky finger of your soul mate. It is the invisible bond that connects you to her no matter how far apart you are."
Archer looked as his pinky finger as he imagined Rin, "So we are still connected."
xxx
Rin was alone in the park as she thought of everything that happened yesterday. It felt like it was just a dream. And Archer was her dream that she could never reach.
A child approached her with his usual cheerfulness.
"Nee-chan! Oh wait," the child scanned the place to look for a man with greyish white hair, "Where is your husband?"
Rin looked at the child and realized that it was the boy that they helped during their date.
"He's gone now…" Rin answered calmly.
"Oh! So can I marry you now?" the boy joked as he walked closer to her.
Rin hugged the child. This time she was not crying. She just held the boy as if she were saying sorry.
"Is that a 'yes'?" the boy inquired.
"There are people in my life that are irreplaceable, and he is one of them. He will stay in my heart forever, wherever he is," Rin answered as he closed her eyes and thought of Archer.
The little boy hugged Rin back as he started crying.
"Why are you crying, little one?" she asked.
"Because I know how sad you are right now that your husband is dead," the boy misunderstood Rin but he still continued to cry, "I know that you are hiding your feelings right now so let me cry for you."
Rin held the boy tighter as she started to cry with him.
Archer… please come back to me…
The clouds in the sky became dark as if the heaven was mourning for the two lovers who were separated by time and space.
Not everyone has a happy ending…
I know that from the beginning…
But still I never stop hoping that we will be together…
Someday… somehow I know that fate will find a way for us to be happy have our happy ending…
Until that day comes… I will continue to wait for you even if it takes forever…
End
Author's Note:I do hope that you enjoyed reading this story.
By the way, I would like to thank Nightshroud. He is the first person who made a review, and he supported the story in many ways. He is also my beta reader.
I am a girl who used to write tragic stories; back when I was in high school, I only wrote love stories that had tragic endings. But everything changed when I watched Fate Stay Night.
I wept because of its ending so I searched the internet to see if there was a sequel, but I was so disappointed to see that there wasn't any.
So in the end I was a loser by not finding any story that would make Shirou and Saber end up being together. So that's when I start writing stories that have happy endings. I hate seeing those characters that I love in pain. So I wrote Fate Across Time, my own sequel of Fate Stay Night where there will be a happy ending for Shirou and Saber. But I don't recommend you guys read it if you don't like a long and serious story.
Then the plot of this story suddenly came to my mind. I love Rin and Archer too so I thought, why not make a story for them? They look cute together anyway.
This is the original ending of the story, but when I think of Rin being alone again I can't help but feel sad about it. That's why I want to make a sequel to this story, but since I will be busy with school I decided not to write it anymore(I told this to my nee-chan Sunny Momo; she knows the plot of the sequel because I told it to her when I was still eager to write it).
Because of the reviews of the readers wanting to see more of Rin and Archer's silly arguments, I decided to make an extra chapter. So watch out for the special ending. I am sure that you will be happy to see them together again. I feel responsible for making my readers sad, so this is my solution.
However, I am not sure when can I write it because I will be busy with my midterm examinations on the coming weeks.
Anyway, I would love to see your reviews; it will always be in my heart forever. So to my readers, do make one for this story so that your name will forever be a part of 24 Hours: A Date With Archer.
Disclaimer: I do not own the song Speechless by The Veronicas and Fate Stay Night.