I found my situation rather amusing. While I was a bit confused about being summoned into the Holy Grail War (twice, if my Masters' uncle did indeed summon me) when I didn't really have a wish, I did enjoy the prospect of guiding and protecting these girls. It was good to be a hero again, putting my life on the line for the sake of others- parenting had its merits, but it couldn't beat the visceral satisfaction of violently protecting children.

Also, I would be lying if I said I wasn't itching for a good fight. It had been decades since I had fought at anywhere near full strength. Or just one, as good old Uncle Kariya apparently lasted a good couple of days into the last war.

I still haven't encountered any of the other Servants. I had been summoned only last night, and apparently Rin was the type of person to sleep in. Sakura, on the other hand, was an early riser, and had left the house to visit a friend. After learning she did this every school day (and some non-school days) I had decided to tag along.

So here I was, watching one of my Masters (what a strange yet brilliant idea. Sounded like something Leo would come up with- except less mechanical. Annabeth would have probably looked for a way to make prana transfers more efficient, or increasing her own capacity) sit at a table with an immature teacher (she reminded me of my teachers at Meriwether) and a young Magus Rin's age who she obviously had a crush on, yet was completely oblivious to it. It somewhat reminded me of when I was fourteen, with Rachel, Annabeth and Calypso.

But despite the amusing show playing before me (apparently the teacher had swapped the sauces), I was worried. One Servant had yet to be summoned, and Shirou was a Magus. If he became a Master, how would Sakura take it? Will she be willing to fight her crush, to face the possibility that one of them may die? It tied my heart in knots just thinking about it. I couldn't help but imagine Annabeth's face as she begged Luke to come back to camp, as she asked him why he betrayed her. I didn't want to see it again.

Sisters Once More

School. I had almost forgotten what the word truly meant. It had been many years since I had come to one of these nodes of hell, these cesspits of bullies and monsters (there was a difference- you could kill monsters). It was clear my Masters didn't share my opinion of schools- Rin was apparently an exemplary student, and Sakura appeared to enjoy meeting friends. It filled me with happiness to know they found school far more agreeable than I.

I really get attached too easily, don't I? First Zoe and Bianca, then Rachel, then… I could probably go on forever. Point is, I'm a bleeding heart. These girls seem like the good sort, and I will protect them. Otherwise I'd have to turn in my Hero Licence.

One thing that Rin and Sakura didn't seem to take into account was how I was supposed to protect both of them during the day. While at night they would be either together or hidden behind their home's many bounded fields (it was really weird to have so much knowledge of magic, even though it was apparently just the "basics" required to follow a Master's directive), during the day they had different classes, clubs and Sakura's excursions to the Emiya household even meant they walk to school from different places. I'll have to take this up with Rin.

And apparently Shirou and I had more in common than I realised (despite the fact that he was apparently a prodigy at archery). After arriving at the school I learned that Sakura wasn't the only one smitten with the redhead. Rin did a good job of hiding it, but I could tell she liked the guy, although she seems to have decided that he was Sakura's. This was surprisingly mature for a teenage girl, and I could tell there was story behind that, but I'm not going to pry.

At the end of the day, Rin and Sakura both headed home. Since it was still daytime, I figured the journey would be safe; if not, I made sure they'll be safe long enough for me reach them- One of the perks of being the Rider class Servant, I'm sure. Rin seemed a bit annoyed and Sakura embarrassed, but they accepted my request to observe their crush for a while longer. I needed to get an idea of the guy.

A couple of hours later and I still don't quite get the guy. After fixing a variety of school appliances manually, despite showing a willingness to use magic to figure out the problem, the guy was talked into sweeping the archery club by some boy called Shinji Matou (strange how he had the same surname as Sakura, which was different to Rin's- I really need to get that story). He wasn't asking for anything in return as far as I could tell, even if he was friends with Shinji- despite the guy practically oozing arrogance and dickishness. He might be worse than even Octavian in attitude- and it was making him be very late home. I couldn't help but feel sorry for the kid, an orphan who seemed to be getting taken advantage of by his so called friends. It kind of pissed me off.

"Well, hello there. Lovely night, isn't it?" The voice was casual, relaxed, and coming from right behind me. Despite the tone, I could pick up a hint of bloodlust, along with the unmistakable aura of a Servant.

"Rin, I've found a Servant" I intoned, calling to my main Master through the Master-Servant bond. It's been years since Grover removed our empathy link. "Lancer, judging by the looks of him."

The Servant was clad in blue armour, and was wielding a blood red spear. His hair, as blue as his armour and long as his spear, was bound in a low ponytail and was framed by a pair of silver earrings. He seemed built for speed, but his muscles told me he was no pushover in terms direct combat. Kinda like Jason. I always enjoyed sparring with Jason, so long as we didn't use our demigod powers. Lighting didn't taste very good, and a battle of winds tends to be quite tiring and boring. The look in his red eyes told me he was looking forward to this fight as much as I was.

I took out my pen. Lancer didn't look like the sort to attack an unprepared opponent, but I figured it was better safe than sorry. His Master may have other ideas. "It is quite nice. This school looks fairly nice as well. It would certainly be a shame to damage a place of safety and learning like this, wouldn't it?" I replied- best not let him onto the fact that there was Magus nearby. He might decide to kill him and eliminate the potential nuisance. Or just for the prana.

"Meh, I'm not big on sitting still. I couldn't stand it when I was a boy, and I can't imagine how these children do so now. If I were them, I'd be glad if this place was out of order for a while!" He replied, a bloodthirsty grin on his face. Looks like he wasn't willing to move our battle elsewhere. "I'm also not big on wearing "modern" cloths and blending in- why the hell aren't you in armour? You could just go into astral form if you don't want to draw attention."

I summoned my armour. One of the benefits of being a Servant- no need to put it on, you can just will the armour into existence. Quite convenient, since I figured being seen on the roof of a school would be less of a problem if I looked like some lost tourist rather than someone more at home on the set of yet another remake of 300. I still hold the opinion that Tristan McLean is the best Leonidas, and that has nothing to do with the fact that his daughter got me free tickets for that movie (and about a dozen others- for the premier. In the same row as the lead actor (Tristan McLean) or actress (Piper Grace)).

"That's more like it! But where's your weapon? I'm itching for a fight, and it would be a shame to kill you without having some fun first." His posture was getting less relaxed, his lance shifted from behind his head to at his side, held in both hands. Definitely not the sort to attack an unprepared opponent, although clearly not because of any chivalry or fair play.

"My my, aren't we a needy one? Got any more requests, or do you want me to tie my hair in a ponytail and wear a pair of earrings?" I asked as I uncapped Riptide and hit my watch, my brother's shield spiralling out and locking into place. I could feel Rin tapping into my senses, allowing her to see and hear as I did. She probably only just remembered the spell.

Yeah, that was definitely a spike of what-makes-you-think-that-it-totally-wasn't-that-even-though-it-was-exactly-that. The girl's anger was so cute. She reminded me of my half-sister when she threw a small tantrum. Another spark of indignation, joined by one of amusement, over the link told me only one my masters found the comparison amusing.

Lancer didn't seem to appreciate my humour. He charged at me, and I dodged sideways, before bolting to the edge of the building, and onto the ground below. No point fighting on the roof when it only restricts me. I landed, and put distance between myself and the wall, stopping in the middle of the courtyard. Lancer landed a short ways away, his stance a loose guard.

"Oh? So that wasn't you chickening out. I was afraid I'd have to chase you down."

"Nah, I'm just not big on high places. My first fight on top of a roof involved lots of poison and taking a dive into a river, and the rest weren't much better. I by far prefer the ground."

"Is that so… well, since you have sword I'm guessing you're not Archer or Caster, you wouldn't be fighting me if you were Assassin and Berserker is out of the question. So are you Rider or Sabre?"

"Rin?" I asked my Master. I would personally rather tell the truth, but it was up to her whether I answered truthfully or not.

"Rider. And due to that wonderfully detailed question, along with the toothpick you seem to be carrying, I take it you're Lancer?" I answered, Rin having decided there was no point in pretending to be Sabre. I also learned my Master did not approve of my pre-battle banter.

Clearly, Lancer didn't either. "Oi, what're you calling a toothpick? My lance is as long as you're tall- maybe you need a closer look!" He charged me, lance help parallel to the ground. I stepped to the side and blocked with my shield, redirecting his charge and bringing my sword around. He avoided getting stabbed by pushing against my shield, and so our clash began. As we exchanged blows, I tried to get a feel for the guy's style, maybe figure out where he's from. I ruled out Greek and Roman mythology right away- his armour wasn't the right style. He also didn't look like any Egyptian warrior I've ever seen. He could have been Norse, and I've seen weapons and armour similar to his in my dealings with those gods, but I couldn't be sure. He could have just as easily been Celtic, Goth or any other mythology from around the same area or time period.

Wherever this guy was from, he was fast. Faster than Jason, who was pretty dam fast (fast as the wind, one could say). I was having trouble keeping up, and he probably would have landed some blows had it not been for my shield. If I had to fight him one handed…

Another clash and Lancer pulled away. I didn't chase- he was up to something, and I still had no clue who this guy was. I was playing mostly defensive- Rin didn't want to reveal too much early. Lancer, as it turned out, had no such restraint. Red light began to illuminate the courtyard as Lancer charged his weapon with prana. There was no mistaking it- He was going to use his Noble Phantasm. I raised my shield, ready for whatever Lancer may try. I trusted in my defences, confident they will not fall.

Whatever Lancer's Noble Phantasm does, I would have to wait to find out, as at that moment the fence rattled. Lancer powered down his attack and turned towards the sound. "Shit, there's a kid still here? Dammit, we'll settle this later- I have to eliminate the witness." He growled, before leaping towards the source of the noise. I stood there, a bit confused and worried. Why was there still a kid here? The school should be empty at this hour. And now they're going to die- if Rin was here, she could wipe their memories (assuming I can convince Lancer) but between the two of us the kid is doomed. But what was Lancer doing here anyway? It's not like you'd expect Servants and Masters to hang around a school at night. I was only here because…

"Shirou!" My Masters shouted across the link, remembering why I was here just as I was. It had to have been him- It's because of him that I was here, and I'd forgotten all about him during the fight with Lancer. I stay here to observe my Masters' crush, and end up getting him killed. Not quite my usual papa-wolf method of boyfriend control. "Rider, go save Shirou! Then take him here so we can wipe his memory!"

Well, let's hope he stays alive long enough for me to distract and convince Lancer. I really don't want an innocent boy's death on my conscience, and it wouldn't do to make the girls cry.

I'd have to turn in my Hero Licence.

Author's Notes

…Why am I doing this?

So if you've read the updated description, I will occasionally be posting short chapters on this thing. They might also be out of order, so keep that in mind. Just don't expect consistent or frequent updates to any of my stories, especially since I'm starting University soon. Oxford, in case you're wondering.

This is my first attempt at a first person POV, so I'm not sure how well I did. I really hope I managed to capture some of Percy's snark and sarcasm, as well as keep a clear flow of thought. Percy is a person who forms quick and powerful bonds, especially when he's alone (Son of Neptune really drives that trait home), and in this he's basically lived a full life. Which means he's gotten married, had kids (maybe even grandchildren) and watched many friends and relatives grow or die. He's developed a paternal instinct, which is going to be a big part of his interactions with Rin and Sakura.

Speaking of the sisters, they're both going to be a lot more social in this version. Growing together and with their mother, they had a lot more healthy human interaction with people aware of magic and capable of talking about it with them. It also means that Rin is aware of Shirou being a Magus, because Sakura noticed the bounded fields around his house and is aware of him performing magic in his workshop (pretty sure that one's mentioned somewhere in canon, if not then I'll refer you to From Fake Dreams by the Third Fang where he has created an I-know-you-know-I-know-you-know-I-know dynamic with the two keeping it a secret from each other. It's a good read, assuming you get past the earlier bits where he horrendously overuses ellipses. He gets better.). They also know he's pathetic at mage craft, so Rin doesn't bother with that. Doesn't stop the crushes though.

Also, in the spirit of Heroes of Olympus, have a cliff-hanger. Be grateful I'm not Rick, or it would be a literal one.