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

Different Fates

Chapter 5

It was raining in London.

Sakura didn't particularly mind, as long as she wasn't walking around outside. It was especially nice if she had nothing to do, and could simply curl up in her dorm room under a comforter with a good book to read in the lamplight. Today wasn't one of those days.

Today she was in the library, revising an essay asked for by one of her instructors. It was a particularly dry piece of work, and one that she was surprisingly finding very interesting. Though in hindsight it shouldn't be too surprising: her entire class had had a strip torn off their collective backs by the instructor for 'borderline plagiarism', and had been sent off to revise their essays with a 'personal touch'.

It was a blessing in disguise for Sakura, as she rarely ever got the chance to show off her 'personal touch'. The 'benefit' (or not) of being an Oriental, she supposed. No one apart from her small circle of friends ever wanted to discuss her opinions.

However in her seven years in the Clock Tower – the first five as part of the Department of General Fundamentals and the last two as part of the Department of Spiritual Evocation – she'd acquired a good idea of where to find theoretical material with regards to her Imaginary Numbers. Most of it dealt with spiritual evocation – naturally – but Sakura didn't particularly like dealing with or working on spirits. She much preferred the application of the conceptual side of her sorcery trait that is the concept of 'possible but not on the physical plane'.

A simpler explanation would be that she preferred to study how the Imaginary Numbers could be used to manipulate space itself, which is not physical despite existing.

Now she just had to explain in a three-page essay how said concept and application could be applied to spiritual evocation. Sakura's eyes remained focused on the paper on the table before her, her fountain pen's scratching filling her ears as she wrote down her insights and arguments. She didn't look up as someone pulled up a chair opposite her and sat down with the dull thump of books gently being placed on the table.

She felt the person's stare on her, but ignored it for the moment. It was rude of course, doubly out of general politeness and professional ethics (even if ethics was an oxymoron when it came to magi). Finally she placed her fountain pen down as she finished a paragraph, and then looked up.

"Johann…" she said in recognition. The bespectacled ten year-old smiled at her, his legs swinging back and forth under the table.

"Hello Ms. Sakura." Johann Freiherr von Derfflinger cheerfully greeted her. "How are you today?"

"I'm busy." She replied standoffishly, and then grinned as he pouted and stuck his tongue out at her. "Well it's nice to see you too, though I never expected to see you here in the Department of Spiritual Evocation. Can I help you?"

Johann nodded. "The instructor gave us something to write about." He said while holding up one of his books. "I went to sister for help, but she had her familiar look for you. She then said I should go ask you for help."

"Anika…" Sakura sighed in exasperation. "…alright, I'll have a look at it once you're done. But I'm not doing it for you, got it?"

"I wasn't asking you to!" Johann said angrily, and then brightened up just as quickly. "Thanks for checking though, and if it's alright do you mind if I ask questions when I have trouble?"

"Eh…sure why not…? And sorry for earlier…well, I'll do mine and you do yours, alright?"

"Okay…do I get to see yours?"

"No…" Sakura said, and she smiled smugly as the boy pouted at her. "…well alright though I doubt if you'll be able to wrap your mind around it. It is a few years above your level."

"Don't treat me like a kid!" Johann protested before cracking his books open. "I'll show you I can handle whatever concepts you're working on right now."

Sakura laughed at that, and she laughed some more when he stuck his tongue out at her. Silence fell between them as they focused on their individual tasks, the only sounds to be heard being their breathing, the falling rain outside, and the scratching of fountain pens on paper.

"I didn't get it at all." Johann said crestfallen, and Sakura sighed while patting him on a shoulder. The two of them were walking down a hallway leading out of the Clock Tower, the older girl deciding to treat him to a snack as comfort for being unable to wrap his mind – at least not completely – around her essay.

On the plus side, his essay on the general relationship and principles between conceptual frameworks and material expression only needed minor corrections, usually involving context and logic.

"What did you learn?" she asked, resisting the temptation to say 'I told you so'.

Johann pouted and crossed his arms. "Don't get above myself." He said crossly.

"Well I wouldn't put it like that…" Sakura mused. "…I would say, know your limits. Then you can focus on catching up, and once you've caught up to those limits, find your new limits. Rinse and repeat. Got it…?"

Johann nodded and smiled at her, and she smiled back while ruffling his hair to his consternation. The sound of heavy boots thumping in sync ahead of them drew their attention, as did murmurs and whispers from their fellow magi who drew back to the sides. Johann and Sakura followed suit, and both narrowed eyes as they spotted the newcomers.

One of them was an older magus in a frock coat that wouldn't have looked out of place in the mid-19th Century, but was rather out of place in the Clock Tower, which favored inter-war fashion in general. Surrounding the magus was a full squad of armored albinos carrying massive halberds.

"Einzbern…" Johann said softly. "…papa and grandmamma hate them."

"I know." Sakura said just as softly. "Anika's told me all about it."

She and Johann fell silent as Einzbern passed, but the magus caught sight of them and passed. "Well, well…" the magus said with an oily smile. "…if it isn't the last Tohsaka? This is an unexpected pleasure."

"On the contrary…" Sakura replied neutrally. "…the pleasure is mine."

"Indeed…" Einzbern said with a nod before turning to Johann who was wearing a carefully neutral expression on his face. A part of Sakura was shocked at how adept he could be at deception, but the magus side of her wasn't. Even before she'd met Princess Louise Francoise, from the moment she'd arrived at the Clock Tower she'd been reading up on proper etiquette and picking up hints on how to…mask one's true feelings and intentions when necessary.

She couldn't blame the younger boy at all.

"Derrflinger…" Einzbern said. "…I'm surprised to find you in Ms. Tohsaka's company."

"She'd a friend of the family." He said. "My sister and her friends keep company all the time. It wouldn't be too much for us to do likewise, would it not?"

"Is that so?" Einzbern said before glancing back at Sakura. "In that case I extend my hope that such a…friendship has borne fruit for your family. I wish you a good day then."

Einzbern nodded at them both with an oily smile, and then continued on his way. Murmurs and whispers followed in their wake. "I certainly hope that nothing bad comes out of this." Sakura said while guiding Johann along.

"You could tell Her Highness." Johann said, but Sakura shook her head.

"If things spill over, then yes I will involve Her Highness." She said. "But for now, a verbal exchange is all this is. No need to involve Her Highness yet. The circle should be sufficient for now…I hope."

"Ms. Sakura…"

Sakura glanced at him with a smile and ruffled his hair. "Enough about that…" she said. "…come on, let's get something to eat."

"I heard you ran into Conrad von Einzbern earlier." Elizabeth Freiin von Westfahl remarked to Sakura Tohsaka and Anika Freiin von Derfflinger. The three young ladies were seated in a private room in the Clock Tower dorms, enjoying after-dinner tea and sweets.

"Conrad von Einzbern…?" Sakura echoed while lowering her teacup back to the table. "Ah yes, the Einzbern magus from this afternoon…Johann and I spoke to him briefly."

"And what did he say?" Anika asked worriedly.

"He politely implied that I was above myself by moving about in your company." Sakura said with a shrug. "I was polite throughout, and so was your little brother. As if I'd be stupid enough to be bated by the likes of him…that would be just what they would want, wouldn't it?"

"Quite…" Elizabeth agreed. "…it's rather brazen of him though, to express such opinions – even veiled – in public. You were accepted into our circles by Her Highness after all, and even then you've since proven the talents that drew Her Highness' attention in the first place. It's not his place to question Her Highness' decisions."

"What did you expect from an Einzbern?" Anika asked acidly. "You know how they are. Just because they're famous across the world for their homunculi and their lost Third Magic, they automatically presume to be peers of the Barthomeloi and other equally great names."

"Well technically they are…" Sakura remarked. "…a great name, I mean. Peers of the Barthomeloi they are not though, and despite being German nobility the Einzbern still don't have the right to question the decisions of Prussian royalty, even if Her Highness is from a branch line."

"Well the Einzbern aren't Prussian." Elizabeth said disapprovingly. "They're not really…our peers."

Sakura smiled. "And where does that leave me?" she asked. "A hanger-on…? Or a talented commoner kept around as…decoration?"

"The latter…" Anika said with a smirk, and the three ladies burst into laughter.

"On another note…" Sakura began once the laughter had died down. "…I do wish you'd stop pushing Johann onto me. I like him as he is already, and he's too young to be thinking of…well you know what."

"Sorry, orders from grandmamma…" Anika said with a self-satisfied smile. …papa and mama still aren't sure about whether or not your sorcery trait is worth marrying my little brother to you, but grandmamma wants you firmly in our camp."

"Oh really, I wonder why?"

"It's obvious isn't it?" Elizabeth said. "Tohsaka and Einzbern are rivals, so they want you to stick it to them."

"It was a figurative question."

"I know that."

There was laughter again. "Well I'd rather you be more than a friend as my sister…" Anika said. "…so I'm not really in any mood to go against what grandmamma told me to do."

"I don't particularly mind marrying Johann when we're older…" Sakura mused. "…though keep in mind that any betrothal contract is going to be examined very thoroughly by yours truly. I'd rather not get a geis on my head."

"Do you trust us that little?" Anika asked with a faux expression of hurt on her face.

"I trust you and Johann." Sakura said. "Your grandmother and father on the other hand…well the former views me as ammunition against the Einzbern, and the latter views me on the basis of my sorcery trait. It's all to be expected from magi, even more so as I'll be getting a noble title from it for myself and my children, but still…"

Anika nodded in agreement. "That's the way the world works." She said sadly. "It's sad, but there's nothing we can do about it. You do know that grandmamma and papa know about your…well they know you know."

"I'd be surprised if they didn't." Sakura said.

"And no doubt they'd be disappointed and less impressed if you didn't." Elizabeth said, and then she sighed. "You're so lucky Sakura. Your prospective fiancé is younger than you are, whereas my fiancé is six years older than I am."

The three ladies fell silent, all thinking about the obligations placed on those of their rank, or in Sakura's case, of those of her level of potential. Magi did after all, practice eugenics in an effort to preserve the legacy of the past and to enrich the potential of the future.

High magical potential…Imaginary Numbers…her ancestor's history with Zelretch…she was a fine prize worthy of consideration by the nobility. She was just lucky that she'd drawn the attention of a decent – by magus standards at least considering some of the gung-ho psychopaths and bootlickers that infested magi society – family. Just as much if not more so of a chance existed that she could have been taken advantage of by less scrupulous families and placed under geis shortly after her arrival at the Clock Tower all those years ago.

It was a sobering thought, and one that reminded her how much of a debt she owed to the House of Hohenzollern for their patronage…and indirectly, their protection.

"Speaking of the Einzbern…" Elizabeth began in an effort to change the topic. "…won't the Holy Grail War be beginning early?"

"It's not definite." Sakura said. "Yes, the system is apparently saturated with prana. But it doesn't guarantee the war would begin early. It could start next year or even next month, but it could also start forty-three years from now, as scheduled."

"True…" Elizabeth agreed. "…but if it starts within your lifetime…"

"Magi live for a long time Bess." Anika said, and she and Sakura snickered at the appalled expression on Elizabeth's face. She hated being called 'Bess'.

"I know that…" she huffed. "…what I mean was if it starts when you're still the Tohsaka magus…"

"I am not letting my children fight in a Grail war unless absolutely necessary." Sakura interrupted firmly. "My father died in the last war, and his death broke my mother and led to her early death. The experience was bad enough…I won't see my children dead either."

"So regardless of when the next war starts…" Anika said softly. "…you'll take the burden on yourself. However, won't your children be the ones who might see their mother die?"

"It is easier for a child to handle their parents' death." Sakura said. "But it doesn't go the same for the other way…or so they say. It's a vicious cycle."

"Then win." Elizabeth said. "As I recall the Holy Grail of Fuyuki is a product of Einzbern's Third Magic, or a reenactment thereof. If so, then once completed it can never be reenacted again. With that, the cycle ends as simple as that."

"It's certainly something to be fought for." Sakura agreed. "The problem is, what do I do with that cup? I've got nothing to wish for that it could grant."

"Money…?" Anika said with a smirk. "Fame…? Love…?"

"Not much point in achievement if you didn't work for it." Elizabeth mused.

"Point…" Anika agreed.

"It's the Tohsaka Clan's duty to win the Grail." Sakura said. "That's what my father told me before the previous war began. But he never said anything about us being the ones to use it."

"You can't be serious." Elizabeth said disbelievingly.

"You're going to give the Grail to the Hohenzollern…?" Anika, and then she burst out laughing. "Oh that's going to go down well with the Einzbern."

"It really would, wouldn't it?" Elizabeth said, snickering into her palm. "I imagine you can hear the screams all the way to Berlin."

"Hmm…I like the idea…I like it very much." Sakura said with a smirk. "I even like the idea where that obsessed fossil Jubstacheit von Einzbern tries to bluster and bluff His Royal Highness the Prince of Prussia to give the Grail back."

"Considering how obsessed the man is, he might even attack Hohenzollern Castle if words fail." Elizabeth said.

"And they'll get wiped out." Sakura said with evident satisfaction. "Both in the battle and in the retaliation to follow…"

"Huh…you seem happy at the prospect." Anika observed. "Do you mind me asking why?"

"According to a family friend…" Sakura said after a moment's thought but deciding not to reveal who the family friend was. "…there's a good chance that it was Einzbern's agent from the previous war, Kiritsugu Emiya who killed my father."

"The Magus Killer…?" Elizabeth echoed in surprise. "He was Einzbern's Master during the previous war?"

"No…" Sakura disagreed. "…he worked with their Master, one Irisviel von Einzbern. A homunculus, from what the family friend said. Obviously I was a child at the time so I wouldn't really know myself, but I've no reason to believe he was lying."

He was always my ally back then, and to father as well.

Sakura blinked as she remembered a certain detail. "Oh that's right…" she said while leaning forward conspiratorially. "…Irisviel von Einzbern was also the man's wife."

Elizabeth who was drinking tea choked on her drink. "His wife…?" she echoed aghast. "Are you serious?"

"As I said, I've no reason to believe that the family friend would be lying."

"He married a homunculus." Elizabeth said while running a hand over her face. "Was he that desperate?"

"Who'd marry an assassin much less a borderline terrorist?" Anika said with a shrug. "Granted, the reasoning behind any of his actions was sound and accepted by the Association, but still, some of them were…brutal in the extreme."

"A perfect fit for the Einzbern then." Elizabeth said. "Misfits skirting on the edge of proper authority…"

"I wouldn't say that the Einzbern are nor were 'misfits on the edge of proper authority'…" Sakura said. "…granted we don't see much of them here at the Clock Tower, but I hear they have a lot of influence and interest sunk into the Sea of Astray."

"I didn't mean the Association or magi society."

"Oh…"

"That obsession of theirs with the Third Magic is unhealthy." Elizabeth said. "I don't mean to sound the snob, but it makes all German nobles – Prussian or not – look bad."

"It's understandable though." Anika said. "Family mysteries are very important to us magi, and the Third Magic was that to the Einzbern. Even their skill in alchemy these days is a shadow compared to what they once had. With that said, I don't agree with their obsession either. They really need to get that out of their system, or it's going to destroy them one day."

"I wouldn't particularly mind that." Sakura said coldly. "Father was…cold and to an extent detached, but he was still my father. And more than that, his death broke my mother. When the war comes, the Einzbern will pay for what Kiritsugu Emiya did to my family."

"Don't get obsessed either, Sakura." Anika said. "Or will you be like the Einzbern?"

Sakura blinked and looked away with a grimace, and her friends smiled. "Win the war." Anika continued. "Take away any chance for them to reclaim their Third Magic, and that should be vengeance enough for your sweet mother and father."

"Father was never sweet." Sakura deadpanned before giving a smile. "But yes, you are right. The screams of rage and loss from Castle von Einzbern should be quite satisfying by themselves."

She sighed and refilled her teacup. "What a depressing topic our conversation has turned to…" Sakura said.

"Then let's talk about something else." Elizabeth prompted. "Did you hear?"

"No, we didn't hear." Anika deadpanned in her turn, and she shared a laugh with Sakura. Elizabeth looked cross before smiling indulgently.

"Apparently the El-Melloi heiress Reines Archisorte El-Melloi has a new pet."

"A pet…?" Sakura echoed.

"What kind of pet?" Anika asked.

"A dog…" Elizabeth answered. "…a Dalmatian if the rumor vine is to be trusted. But the thing is, the dog is impudent and only eats boiled chicken, so dear Lady Archisorte sends her brother out in the middle of the night to buy meat."

"I didn't know Reines Archisorte had a brother." Sakura said while Anika fought to keep her laughter down.

"She doesn't." Elizabeth said with a big smile. "At least not biologically…"

"Wait…it can't be…"

"Yup, her 'big brother' is Lord Waver El-Melloi II."

At that Anika lost control, laughing loud and hard and joined in by Sakura. "W-wait…" Sakura stammered through her mirth. "…the Lord El-Melloi II reduced to running errands…buying chicken in the market…"

For a moment she imagined the cranky, cigar-chomping top instructor of the Association haggling with a meat vendor over the price of chicken meat. She couldn't help it, she collapsed into helpless laughter.

No doubt elsewhere the poor man was sneezing himself crazy from their laughter, but the thought only made Sakura laugh even harder. "E-Elizabeth…" Anika struggled to say while clutching her side. "…how on Earth did you know about that?"

"I keep my ears open." Elizabeth said with a wink, and the two other ladies snorted.

"Is that all you've got?" Anika asked.

"Well now that you mention it…" Elizabeth began while tapping her chin thoughtfully. "…there was an accident in the Department of General Fundamentals earlier today. Nothing too serious but Clovis de la Winter is up in arms over it."

"Clovis de la Winter…?" Sakura echoed. "I'll bet five hundred pounds that a jilted lover is behind it. Idiot…"

"Well he's French." Elizabeth mused, and Sakura and Anika raised an eyebrow each.

"What does that have to do with anything?" they asked at the same time, and they both looked at each other in surprise while Elizabeth laughed at them both.

"Are you sure you're not sisters already?" she teased before continuing her story. "Well anyway he was conducting his usual basic alchemy class, and apparently someone spiked his previous meal with laxative."

"I think I can see where this is going." Anika said with a smile while Sakura was trying to stifle her giggles.

"I bet you do." Elizabeth said. "He drops something, bends over, and then this pained expression appears on his face! He straightens up, walks around sweating and hooking and pulling his fingers, and then he runs out of the room...all the while something brown and foul-smelling starts oozing down his pants and behind him on the floor..."

Elizabeth winked and trailed off, the two other ladies exploding into laughter.

It was still raining when Sakura returned to her dorm room that night. She stowed her books and after some hesitation, she retrieved a chest from beneath her bed. She unsealed it, exposing three large compartments, one filled with shining gems, the second with old and battered sets of notes, and finally a container with what looked like a fossil of a snake.

Sakura took the last one out, and hefted it handily. "The King of Heroes, huh?" she wondered aloud. "I wonder, should I do as father would have done and summon Gilgamesh of Uruk? Or should I go for a Servant more in tune with me? Or something else entirely…?"

She thought it over some more, and then she replaced the catalyst. She handled the pendant given by her father briefly, and then resealed and stowed the chest. "There's no point in worrying about the Holy Grail War yet." She thought as she closed the curtains before changing into her night clothes. "Damn Einzbern…if I hadn't met him earlier, then I wouldn't be thinking about the contest right now."

Grumbling at the results of the brief meeting with the Einzbern, she closed the curtains and changed into her sleepwear. After making sure all her security bounded fields were up – the dorms were co-ed – she prepared her clothes and material for the following day before sitting down to a final review of the day's lessons before finally going to bed.

A/N

Kirei lied! Gasp…well not really, he didn't actually lie (Kirei ALWAYS – which is surprisingly noble of him – tells the truth) he just said Kiritsugu might have killed Tokiomi. Well Kiritsugu might have done that given the chance…poor Kiri, he's already dead but his reputation still does him in.

Q'Fox: sorry for the late reply, but while Ayako might have been a bit mature for her age, Rin and Shirou should be quite mature given their circumstances. Rin Matou is an experimental subject for her grandfather, while the latter walked through burning ruins barely four or three years ago.