Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate franchise it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon.

Transposition

Chapter 3

Golden afternoon light played over the academy grounds, at students walking around, out of, or away from the school buildings. Alone, in pairs, or in groups, they crossed the quadrangle towards the gates, and out, either heading home or to spend some time elsewhere before calling it a day.

Others still had some unfinished business, such as the track and field team, taking turns doing practice laps and running back and forth on the quadrangle. Lights glowed through the kyuudo building's windows, and through a scattering of windows across the academy's various buildings. For the most part however, club activities were done for the day, and indeed, most students had already left, and those clubs still unfinished were just about to wrap up themselves.

One student about to head out was Shirou Emiya, humming softly to himself as he crossed the quadrangle for the gates. Ordinarily he'd have left long before, seeing as he wasn't really a member of a club or anything, but he'd been tied up fixing an old television in the possession of the Student Council. It had taken some time to do so, a television being more complex than most machines but he'd done it in the end.

Rin had already left, though she had offered to stay with him until he'd finished working. Shirou had turned her down, and after giving her a promise not to dawdle around after fixing the television or do more than he was expected to at his part-time job after school, Rin had gone on ahead. She still had to visit the grocery for tonight's dinner after all, and there was preparation and cooking to do afterwards.

Shirou blinked as he heard someone call his name, and turning saw of the kyuudo team's members running for him. "What's wrong, Sakazaki?" Shirou asked as the other boy finally caught up with him. It had been a while since he'd left the kyuudo team, but he still remembered the names of his old teammates.

"Sorry, Emiya," Satoshi Sakazaki began after he'd regained his breath. "I need to ask you for a favor."

"Okay," Shirou began. "What do you need?"

"Can I ask you to clean up the kyuudo building today?"

"What?"

Satoshi scratched the back of his head uncomfortably. "Yeah," he began, looking and sounding very uncomfortable. "You see, my parents are out of town right now, and my younger sister got caught shoplifting and…yes well, you can imagine..."

"Shoplifting?" Shirou echoed in alarm. "Your sister? Seriously?"

"Yes." Satoshi said with a nod. "She's with the cops right now, and well, Fujimura-sensei wants me to meet her at the police station."

Shirou didn't hesitate. He could see that Satoshi was clearly worried about his little sister (and probably angry that she'd been shoplifting), and if he was dropping Taiga's name it was clearly genuine. It was well-known that he – Shirou – was Taiga's ward, and could easily confirm if something had turned up that needed her personal attention.

Though, even if it was a ruse, Shirou would still take over cleaning up the kyuudo building for Satoshi. It wasn't like he had anything else really important to do, and he supposed in a way it was helping others, so long as it didn't involve hurting people or anything criminal or fundamentally wrong.

Well, there was his part-time job, but he could afford being late or even absent every so often. He was on good terms with the boss and his daughter, and they would understand and had understood when 'school stuff' had kept him from going to work in the past. And, it wasn't like he hadn't and didn't perform up to and more than expected from him at work.

So…it should be alright, taking over for Satoshi today.

"Okay." Shirou said with a nod. "I'll do it."

"Really?"

"Yeah, it's fine."

"Oh, thank you very much!" Satoshi said with a very deep bow, and flustering Shirou greatly.

"Y-you're welcome, but anyway enough with that, you're making a scene." Shirou said with raised hands and a step back, and Satoshi rose from his bow, grinning and rubbing his head with mild embarrassment. "Anyway, you should get going and meet up with Fuji-nee at the police station, so you can take your sister home."

"Yeah," Satoshi said with a nod. "That sounds good…oh?"

The two boys turned in the direction of the track and field team, where the captain was loudly giving orders and two girls were headed for the track. One of them was Kaede Makidera, a tall and tanned athlete also known by her nickname 'Maki', and as the fastest runner on the team.

The other was a year younger than Maki or Shirou, Sakura Tohsaka, a slightly-tomboyish girl said to be second in popularity only to Rin. But where Rin was aloof and distant, an idol on a pedestal to be adored and looked up to, Sakura was friendly and outgoing, easy to talk to and approach, though Shirou himself had never talked to her in the past.

He knew enough though that in addition to being a fast and skilled runner herself, she was also bright and studious, enough to claim the highest grades in her class and with it, the post of class representative. In fact, with her popularity and looks, if she wanted to leave the track and field team and run for the council presidency next year, she'd likely succeed Rin as council president, or so Rin herself had said. And speaking of looks…

Satoshi whistled and grinned, focusing on Sakura in the distance. "Looks like the track and field team are going to be holding mock dashes." He said appreciatively. "Which means…those puppies Tohsaka has…"

"W-what are you saying?" Shirou asked, scandalized.

"You don't know?" Satoshi replied, looking surprised. "After Matou, Tohsaka's got the biggest breasts in this school, even bigger than Mitsuzuri's. And when girls with breasts that big – unlike Makidera – run…"

Satoshi trailed off with a suggestive gesture with his hands, and prompting Shirou to cough primly. "Anyway," he said. "Don't you have someplace else to go to? You know, little sister in trouble and all? Fuji-nee wants you to meet her?"

"Oh right, I almost forgot!" Satoshi said, slightly taken aback. Turning back to Shirou, he adjusted his backpack and nodded again. "Sorry about that, I got sidetracked. Sorry Emiya, I'll make it up to you someday!"

"It's fine." Shirou said, turning to follow the other boy with his eyes as Satoshi ran off with a hand raised in goodbye. "I'll take care of it."

Satoshi nodded before turning a corner and vanishing, and with a sigh, Shirou turned back towards the school grounds. Initially walking for the kyuudo building, as he passed by he paused to watch as the track and field team conducted the last dash for the afternoon. Inevitably, given Satoshi's…suggestive, remarks, Shirou found his attention focused on Sakura.

"They really are big." Shirou uncomfortably found himself thinking before turning his attention away from Sakura's breasts – the size and curve of which were unnecessarily emphasized by the sports bra rendered nearly visible through her sweat-soaked shirt sticking to her skin – to her face.

In a moment, Shirou concluded that she was undoubtedly pretty, even with drops of sweat all over and running down her face. But, what struck him the most then and there, as Sakura crouched in a runner's starting position with her hands against the ground, was her smile.

No…it's not a smile. Not quite…it's not a grimace either…it's almost like…like someone who knows that they're going to lose but even so…

Blinking, Shirou regarded Sakura in her entirety, noting how she seemed to relax and yet not relax at the same time.

She's like a coiled spring.

The captain blew his whistle, and at once Maki and Sakura seemed to shoot forward, and causing Shirou to consciously put effort to keep track of their progress over the track. And once again, he found his eyes drawn to Sakura's face, and was again struck by her smile.

It's a smile alright.

But…it's so uncaring. Almost like…nothing else matters except what happens here and now…

Shirou found himself smiling with respect at such determination and focus, his head quickly turning to follow the runners along the track. Maki and Sakura kept pace with each other, neither able to draw a lead on each other, but as they passed the hundred-meter mark, Sakura erupted with a burst of speed, quickly gaining a lead over Maki.

But, just a few moments later, Maki herself erupted with a similar burst of speed, quickly catching up to Sakura, and as Sakura began to lose momentum and wear out, gained a step's lead over the younger girl just as they crossed the finish line. "So close…" Shirou thought.

He smiled wider as he saw the older girl congratulate and give advice to the younger girl, who responded with a smile and a nod before joining Maki on a cooldown lap. But as she turned her head, her eyes met Shirou's.

Both their eyes widened, and then pausing Sakura smiled and nodded at him across the distance. Shirou blinked, and then smiled and nodded himself. Sakura kept up the gaze for a moment more before turning away to begin her cooldown lap, and noting the rest of the track and field team already heading for the showers – with the runners joining them later once they'd finished their cooldown lap – Shirou himself turned away and headed for the kyuudo building.

He had work of his own to do.

"Are you finished?"

"Depends…what time is it?"

"You've been in the shower for nearly an hour now."

"Is it dark outside?"

"Yes."

"As in really dark?"

"Yes. Or if you're asking if it's really nighttime as opposed to some fraction of twilight, then yes, it's nighttime."

"Okay, I'll be out in a bit."

Sakura turned the shower knob, the rain of water falling down from the showerhead ceasing to a trickle before dripping to nothing. Shaking her head, Sakura sent water droplets flying all around the shower cubicle before waking out naked, headed towards the opposite wall where she took a towel hung on a hook and began wiping herself dry.

There was no else left in the gym's women's showers and locker room, the rest of the track and field team – including Maki – having gone on ahead. A few – again including Maki – had offered to stay until Sakura was done, but Sakura had persuaded them to go on ahead.

Left on her own, Sakura had indulged in the shower, luxuriating in the cool spray even after washing down, until Archer – who she'd tasked with keeping watch outside – had dryly asked if she was done or not. "I just wanted to make sure everyone else in school had left." Sakura sent the thought to her Servant. "I could have waited for that in hiding, but that's boring. And I was tired and sweaty. A long, cool shower would fix that."

"Did it?" Archer asked.

"Yes." Sakura replied. "I'm ready for what's to come. He's still there, isn't he?"

"Yes." Archer confirmed. "And from the feel of things, he wants to get started already."

"Is that right?" Sakura asked, finished drying her body and starting on her hair. "I think we can let him wait a bit more. Unless you're impatient too."

"No, I can wait." Archer replied. "I suppose I can ponder the mysteries of the universe for a while longer yet."

"…sarcasm doesn't suit you."

"I was serious."

"Really? Alright then, because while I'm no longer tired and sweaty, I'm a little hungry, and I bought a few veal sandwiches from the canteen earlier."

"…"

Sakura laughed at the meaningful silence in their telepathic link, and wrapping her towel around herself stepped in front of the sink and its mirrors. "There should be two in my bag in the locker room." She said. "Go ahead and take one if you want. Oh, and feel free to take a peek if you're tempted."

"…right."

Laughing to herself at the sense of exasperation coming from her Servant, Sakura took a comb and began to fix her hair.

Sakura whistled as she stepped out into the open, walking a third of the way out from the main building across the quadrangle. "Looks like we pissed them off," she remarked on the enemy Servant's aura. "Making them wait so long."

"It seems that way." Archer replied.

Sakura chuckled, and closed her eyes for a few moments. Opening them, she whirled and looked up with a small smile. "Sorry to keep you waiting." She loudly called out.

The air shimmered, and then a figure in blue and silver materialized on the roof of the main building. The Servant was male, tall and lean with harsh if not unhandsome features, blue hair roughly swept back over his head. Silver earrings hung from his ears, and through reinforced eyes Sakura could see the sour expression on the Servant's face.

"Honestly," the Servant said. "You sure kept me waiting, little girl!"

"What can I say," Sakura said with a shrug. "I like to take my time, and to just take things easy."

The Servant snorted, and then to Sakura's surprise, laughed. "Women do like to take their time when it comes to making themselves look presentable, don't they?" he asked.

"What's that got to do anything?" Sakura asked back.

"Nothing," the enemy Servant replied. "Though, I suppose now that you've finally come out in the open like this, it's about time we got to business didn't we?"

Not waiting for Sakura's response, the Servant swept out with a hand, a crimson spear flashing into existence in its grasp. As Sakura's eyes widened in realization, the newly-revealed Lancer leaped off the building, and landed smoothly on the quadrangle between Sakura and the gate, thus cutting off her line of retreat.

At once, Archer materialized between them. "A spear," he said laconically. "I'm guessing you're the Lancer then."

"Correct." Lancer said with a smile, stepping into a stance.

"Well, Sakura?" Archer asked, but keeping his eyes on Lancer in front of them. "What do you plan to do?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Sakura asked back without any sign of hesitation. "We've come this far, throwing down the gauntlet along the way. And the enemy's picked it up. So give them what they want, Archer!"

Without a word, Archer traced a pair of Chinese scimitars, one with a blade and hilt black as coal, the other with a blade and hilt as white as snow. In the next moment he leaped forward, a blur of red and black in the light of the Moon.

"An Archer fighting like a Saber?" Lancer sneered as he leapt to meet Archer's charge, a blur of blue in the night. "Don't joke around!"

The crimson spear stabbed forward, only to be caught between the two scimitars and turned upward. Undeterred, Lancer pressed the attack, his spear turning in an arc before stabbing at Archer again.

Archer parried with one sword, before charging forward and swinging his other sword at Lancer. Lancer jumped back, also pulling his spear back before stabbing fast and hard several times. Archer parried all the blows, and again charged in close after parrying the last blow, and swung twice at Lancer.

Lancer again jumped back, and then swinging his spear in a broad arc, struck with the edge and not the point of his spear. A second swing followed, in the opposite direction from the previous one, again parried by Archer, who then charged forward.

The spear stabbed forward and down, allowing Lancer to use it vault over a surprised Archer. Landing behind him, Lancer now stabbed at Archer's back, but the other Servant was already turning, a sword rising to parry successfully.

Another stab knocked the other sword from Archer's hand, and forcing Archer to jump back, Lancer in quick pursuit. In response, Archer hurled his last remaining sword in a black blur at Lancer, who swatted it aside with a sneer…before his eyes went wide, as he saw Archer charging at him, with both scimitars in his hands.

Crossing both blades in front of him, Archer then uncrossed them and striking sparks from Lancer's spear threw Lancer back. Then keeping close, to prevent Lancer from taking advantage of his weapon's longer reach, he struck twice with one sword, up diagonally from the hip to the left shoulder, and then back down.

And then he stabbed forward and down to the right with his other sword, and then swung up and to the left, with enough force to throw Lancer to one side and away from Sakura with a cry. Determined to retain the initiative, Archer charged in again, swords crossed, and uncrossing them sent more sparks flying as Lancer parried with his spear.

Lancer skidded back into a crouch, Archer hot in pursuit. "You're pretty good." Lancer said grudgingly before unexpectedly jumping forward, spear held low and stabbing forward as he got in close.

Archer dodged to one, pivoting to strike at Lancer's back. Likewise, Lancer twisted his body, and narrowly avoiding the strike to his back stabbed at Archer's side. Archer turned the attack, but again Lancer twisted his body, the spear arcing out to strike at Archer's head.

Archer was forced to give ground to avoid taking a hit, and Lancer jumped into a stance before leaping forward to counterattack. A lightning-fast barrage of stabs was blocked, before a pair of swings tore both swords clear of Archer's hands.

With a roar, Lancer stabbed in, seemingly-seeking to carve Archer's heart from his chest. Archer again gave ground, both swords rematerializing in his hands, and parrying a feint, riposted the real attack, striking in at Lancer's torso.

Lancer dodged and counterattacked, Archer again parrying and counterattacking himself. "Hey, who are you?" Lancer asked with a smile as he charged. "I've never heard of an Archer with two swords before."

"Who knows?" Archer replied, dodging to one side before charging in swords low and striking upward at Lancer's flank. Lancer jumped back, striking down to knock Archer's swords away before stabbing forward and forcing Archer to jump back.

"You're fairly recognizable though." Archer said, clearly unfazed as he jumped back with Lancer on his heels. "There aren't that many Lancers as good as you."

Light flashed as Archer's swords rematerialized in his hands, and swinging them up turned Lancer's attack away.

The sound of steel against steel from outside drew Shirou's attention, the boy letting go of the rag he was using to wipe the floor and getting up, rushed outside to see what was going on. His eyes widened in shock at the sight that met him just a few steps outside the kyuudo building's door.

Two strangely-dressed men – including one in blue spandex of all things – were fighting each other in the school quadrangle. One with a pair of swords, one black and the other white, while the other had a red spear.

The speed and force of their battle was incredible. They were blurs through the air, one blue and silver, the other red and black, visible only in full whenever their weapons met and their momentum was forced to a halt. The impact of their weapons was at the high end to displace the surrounding air, and at the low end to send sparks flying as steel ground against steel.

What's going on here?

Who are they?

Why are they fighting?

And more than that…what are they? Magi? Or something else supernatural? Ordinary people can't fight like that!

Shirou blinked, and saw as the man in blue jump in, stabbing with his spear which the man in red and black parried and riposted, forcing the man in blue to back off. The sight of the spear in action caused him to remember something he, Issei, and Shinji had been discussing a couple of days ago.

It was a murder.

An entire family slaughtered in their home at night. The police have no suspects or murder weapon, and this is the strangest part, from the way the family was killed, the murder weapon was a weapon with a long blade, like a sword or a spear.

…a sword…a spear…

Just like those…people…are fighting with…

As Shirou thought that, the man in blue caught sight of him as he jumped back from yet another one of the man in red and black's attacks. "Who's that?" he demanded, and gasping in alarmed realization Shirou turned and bolted for the school.

Growling at the interruption, the man in blue leapt off in pursuit, while the man in red and black glanced at the girl watching from the sidelines, who Shirou had failed to notice much less recognize.

"Oh no!" Sakura said, already turning the school building herself. "Someone was still here? Archer, hurry!"

Shirou ran.

He just knew that if either of those two who'd been fighting managed to catch up with him, it would not end well for him…probably permanently so. So he ran, and ran, and ran, not caring where he went or how many corners he turned.

All that mattered was that he lost his pursuer or pursuers in the corridors and rooms of the academy, and that he could avoid them until they either moved on or abandoned the pursuit. Ignoring the protests of his muscles and the burning in his lungs, Shirou just ran through the school, until finally he slumped down against a corridor in…someplace dark, in the school's interior.

For a few moments he just sat there, legs and lungs burning from the sudden exertion, the boy breathing heavily to catch his breath. "Did I lose them?" Shirou thought.

"Hey." The man in blue suddenly asked next to him, and with a yelp Shirou jerked to the side and down against the ground.

Before him, the man in blue stood with his spear resting against a shoulder, looking down at Shirou with a resigned smile. "You ran pretty far." He remarked. "But, this is as far as you go."

Shirou gasped and then his eyes bulged as faster than he could see, the red spear stabbed down and into his chest, piercing his heart. "Dead men tell no tales." The man in blue said, pulling the spear out in a fountain of blood.

And Shirou knew no more.

Sakura turned a corner and noticed the body lying in a pool of blood after only a few more steps. A snarl of frustration left her lips, and she punched the wall next to her angrily. "Damn it!" she spat before whirling on her Servant behind her. "Check the surroundings! Make sure the enemy Servant, or anybody at all, is gone."

Archer nodded, and vanished into astral form. For a few more moments, Sakura just stood there in silence in the dark, and then with a sigh, slowly turned and walked towards the boy lying in his own blood. "Damn it," she muttered. "I got careless. I should have checked if everybody was gone, instead of just assuming that based on the time. I should have…"

Sakura trailed off, her face twisted with a mixture of regret and sadness. "I'm sorry." She finally said. "I might as well have killed you myself. Even though I…"

Sakura trailed off and her eyes widened as she saw who the boy on the ground was. "No way," she whispered. "This can't be…why are you…"

Sinking down to a crouch, she slowly grabbed his collar, and shook him. "Why…why were you here?" Sakura demanded angrily. "Why…why did it have to be you…"

Letting out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding, Sakura let Shirou sink back into his blood, and lowered her head, eyes closed and teeth grit together. Several moments later and opening her eyes, she sadly sighed while reaching out to fix Shirou's collar. "Were you…" she whispered. "Were you helping out again? Someone else's chores or something? Honestly…you really were too nice for your own good…"

Trailing off, Sakura sighed again, and then leaning over Shirou began trying to clean him up. "At the very least," she said, preparing to try and lift him away from his own pool of blood. "You deserve more dignity than…"

Sakura trailed off, her eyes widening as she felt something. "No way," she whispered, placing a hand on Shirou's chest. After a few moments, she lifted it away, and placed her hand against his lips. After a few moments, she took it away too, confirming what she'd felt and hoped.

He was alive.

His heart was beating.

He was breathing, weakly yes, but breathing still for all that.

He was alive.

But how?

The question made Sakura hesitate briefly, but only briefly. She pulled out a handful of gems, but glancing once at Shirou's body made her reconsider. And then replacing them back in her pocket, she pulled out a massive ruby, set in silver on a silver chain, the jewel glowing from within with magical energy.

"Sorry dad." Sakura thought as she rose to her feet, holding the gem over Shirou's body. "But it looks like I'm going to have to break your heart again. But then again, that's just the kind of person I am, aren't I? Sempai is kind to a fault, but me? I'm just a heartless angel who likes to play pretend."

As her circuits flooded with prana and the gem began to glow brighter, Sakura began to speak her aria.

Fang die körperliche Diagnostik an. Identifizier die Strukturelemente und steh für die körperliche Rekonstruktion bereit. Konzeptionelle Variablen sind identifiziert. Fang die Korrektur an. Drei rot, vier blau, ein grün...

A/N

Short fight I know, but Lancer vs. Archer at the start of the war is pretty vanilla so to speak, no need to dawdle there. Still sticking heavily to stations of the canon for now, but you have to start somewhere, and we'll move onto the changes soon enough.

Translation for the aria: Start of physical diagnostics. Identify structural elements and standby for physical reconstruction. Conceptual variable identified, beginning of correction. Three red, four blue, one green…