7th Day – part 1 – Solutions
He was having another dream, but it felt unlike any other dream he could remember. He was seeing a hill, one among many others. He could see mountains all around it. He felt an incredible tranquility from this place, but why?
Somehow he knew that this wasn't common, tranquility wasn't supposed to be the norm in that place, but at the moment it was. A young woman was on top of the hill looking into the distance. He didn't know why but she didn't seem at ease, why? Why would she not be happy with it? That place was at peace, even though it was the site of many skirmishes over the generations.
It was all because of her father. The Great Khan brought peace to the steppes, he united the tribes under his banner gave them purpose. It was a commendable act, one that likely would echo through the ages. Yet, something seemed profoundly unsatisfied in the daughter's eyes, eyes that she showed no one else, just the tranquil hill and the surrounding scenery.
She didn't live a stifling lifestyle, even though her husband to be was chosen by her father, it was necessary to bind the tribe tighter to the Khan. Not only was she not unsatisfied, on the contrary, she seemed happy to be of use to her father's noble acts.
She had as much freedom as she could want so long as she did the necessary chores. She did those diligently and faster than any other, so she could hone her more 'recreational' skills. Of course these were recreational only for her, who would not ride out to war. Even if she rode and shot better than most of her father's men, she would never be able to ride out, nor did she ever ask. Still, those eyes that she showed no one else were always full of some kind of longing.
Shirou woke up to the shed's ceiling. Oh, right. He was so nervous the night before that he slipped to the shed to train and calm himself. He didn't succeed even once in strengthening, but at the very least he felt that the whole process was easy now that he had the 'switch' that Rin told him about.
The name brought back some unpleasant memories. Now that things seemed mostly under control, he felt slightly foolish, but he still believed that he had done the right thing, even if he was a bit rough…
Oh, damn. He remembered some other things. Rider was probably really mad at him, not without reason. Not only had he twisted her arm into using her Noble Phantasm, he also used a Command Spell to stop what amounted to mere self-defense. But, what else could I have done? I wasn't going to let her kill Sakura. That was right, but also wrong. No, it was that he didn't want to let Sakura get killed. He justified himself, but deep inside he knew that Rider was right to not like the results.
It doesn't matter. If insulting Rider and using a Command Spell was all I needed to save Sakura, then it is a cheap price. One he would have paid all over again if he deemed necessary to protect people.
That's right. Honor was meaningless in front of a life. He would gladly throw away any kind of pride and honor if that meant he could achieve the best ending. He wouldn't regret it. He would regret nothing, so long as his objective was to protect.
Rider felt annoyed. That just couldn't be it. The reason that her Master was so hell-bent on trying to create the perfect ending for everything, by protecting everyone, was that fire and a promise he made to his late adoptive father? No, more likely it was something that was deeply ingrained in him, but bloomed under the right circumstances. Actually, the reason was not important.
Well, at least there was a reason for him to trample on her like that. It didn't make it any easier to swallow but at least she understood him in a way. It was better than if he was crazy.
She had these thoughts on her mind as she joined him for breakfast. "What about Sakura?" She knew that this would be a good way to ingratiate herself. People like to be asked about things that concern them. She felt bad for manipulating her own master, she personally didn't give a damn about the girl, but she wouldn't be the first to disrupt any sort of harmony between them.
Shirou looked surprised, probably because he didn't expect that question. "She's still sleeping." His tone and eyes betrayed his doubt, he didn't seem to know what to do with Rider's lack of hostility or inquire.
She continued in the same diplomatic tone. "I see." She took a sip of the miso soup. "So, what are the plans for today?" She considered asking about Saber's Master, but maybe it was a little early for that.
Shirou took a long time to answer. She didn't know why, it was such a simple question. Suddenly he lowered his head until it almost touched the table. "I'm sorry about things ended up happening yesterday." Oh, so he's going to apologize now?
It took a lot of effort for her not to explode. How dare he apologize after all that, especially since both of them knew that if needed he would have done it all over again. That was the worst part. "Master, don't say you're sorry when you're not. So, about the plans for today?" She hoped that not using his name would transmit the state of their relationship.
It worked. He winced before answering. "I'm going to ask for information from the War's supervisor, in Kotomine Church. You're going to stay here and protect Sakura." There would probably be no argument on that.
Rider did not argue. That would probably afford her more independence. And if she decided that it might just be better to "fail" at her duty. Then well, at least the level of mistrust between them would be mutual. She knew that he would not, could not, sever his ties with her. "I see, I will guard her then, Master." She bowed in deference.
He showed signs of surprise at her quick compliance, but he seemed to take her obedience at face-value. After all, it would be unreasonable to use a Command Spell to make a Servant obey an order that it agreed to. "I'm counting on you." Perhaps he thought that she was just being cold to him but saw his reasoning or something.
She saw him off without any incident. She went to look at the one she was supposed to protect. All she saw was a regular girl sleeping in a futon. Is she really worth all that? Whatever it was that possessed her; was that girl worth all that which she might sacrifice? Even if Rider decided one way or another, the Command Spell for not doing anything to the girl was still in action.
She spent a while just pacing around the garden. Just as boredom seemed ready to overcome her, Rider hear the bell. She had an idea as to who the visitor might be.
A slightly awkward Tohsaka Rin stood at the gate. Saber was standing behind her. "Oh, Rin, what brings you here? I don't want to be rude, but your relationship with Shirou seems to be quite strained right now." Ally or not, Rider wouldn't let Rin know of the rift between her and her Master.
"Ahem, can I speak to Emiya-kun?" Rider hoped it was not to apologize, but she wouldn't know that yet, after all…
"No, Shirou is out of the house for the moment. I'm afraid I can't disclose to where, as I'm not sure where we stand in relation to each other, you understand it, right?" She was as polite as she could be.
"Oh, I see, that's a shame." Rin seemed to be distracted by another thought.
Rider waited until she didn't seem so focused. "I would invite you in to wait for him, but Shirou didn't leave me with instructions regarding and. Moreover, the object of your contention is under my care. As I am under the impression that you consider her a threat, I'd like you to understand why I'd rather you don't come in." She bowed, trying to demonstrate respect.
Rin nodded. "I see, then I will come back later." She turned back and started to walk away.
Saber nodded at Rider before following her Master.
Rider reciprocated. It was strange, Saber was probably one of the people she most respected, but she also wanted to much to fight her. She was sure that it would be enjoyable, perhaps Saber might even have the spirit to resist Rider's trump card.
Kotomine Church. It was by no means a place that Shirou wanted to go to. Still, Kotomine seemed to be quite knowledgeable about the War and anything related to it. Therefore, he might know something about Sakura's condition. It pained Shirou, somehow he couldn't get to like the priest, but he had to ask him about what happened to Sakura.
He approached the doors he heard something which made him stop. Voices could be heard from the inside. Was another Master already talking to the War's supervisor? Shirou hesitated for a few seconds, but in the end decided to put his ear on the door. He couldn't understand everything that was said but there were a few parts that were clear enough.
One of the things that Kotomine Kirei guessed he was proud of was his ability to be able to not be affected by most things. He felt he guessed because he wasn't sure of it. His father certainly educated Kirei to try always to be above the facts so he could always analyze it and give a proper response and Kirei always felt a need to follow his father's teachings. So perhaps there was no pride involved.
The fact was that Kirei had an almost unbreakable composure, and he felt that to be important. Therefore, there weren't many capable of cracking. He regret that recently he had met one more person capable of doing that. Furthermore, that woman was in front of him.
"I may not look like it, but I actually am a busy man. Since you are a participant of this War, I will listen to your request, but please make it quick, and if it is of no importance, I'd rather you keep it to yourself." He glared at the woman sitting on the bench. His strict words seemed to have had no effect on her.
Carmen uncrossed then crossed again her legs. "You know, my father really hated yours. Apparently he believed that the Witnesses were much more suitable to supervise the Holy Grail War." She said that as one would comment on the weather.
Kirei considered just dismissing this as useless banter but he had little doubt that it would not stop her from pursuing the topic, so he decided to take the bait. "Well, that would be true if there were actually any real Witnesses in this age." He left the rest implied. It was no secret that the Witnesses' powers had declined and that they had been effectively reduced to spies. He hoped the barb would wipe that smirk off her face.
It made no difference. Carmen laughed. "Well, that was true then, wasn't it? But what if I told you that it isn't true now?" She gazed at him as if daring him to contradict what she had just said.
Surely she is bluffing. Kirei hoped that it was so, since the alternative meant dire news indeed. "Oh, I hope you are not talking about yourself. After all, no matter how many transgressions, if you had really revived your family's old technique, then there's no way that you would have been disinherited." It wasn't big or important news, still there were few in the Holy Church that hadn't heard of the Castro woman who was disinherited over researching magic too much.
She was unfazed by his comment. "But what if it's just officially that I am in this situation?"
"You don't mean?" A ruse? That was unlikely, the Castro's patriarch was famous for his overflowing honesty. Even the fact that he despised the Kotomine family was no secret.
"Hah, I'm just kidding, my father's morals aren't that flexible, unlike some others who I don't need to mention." She shrugged and shook her head in mock disapproval.
Kirei frowned, was this woman just trying to make him uncomfortable? "I'd prefer that we don't discuss this. Anyway, this conversation seems highly irrelevant, is that really what you came here for? Provoke me?" Perhaps it was the time to force the issue.
She jumped from the bench excitedly. "Oh, so you'd like to talk about relevant things? Would you? That's fine by me." She started to pace the church. "How about we talk about how I ruined your plans then, would that suit you?" She smiled slyly
It still annoyed Kirei, but he had to admit that he was curious as to the how and why. "Okay then, I'm all ears, how and why did you do that?" He prepared himself mentally.
Carmen giggled. "So, we're talking about how I convinced Bazett to summon a different Servant from the one that she planned, right? Then I stopped you by having Archer obliterate her arm after you cut it off so you couldn't steal her Command Spells. I'm just making sure that this is this that we're talking about." She seemed to revel in that.
Kirei kept any reactions to a minimum, it was all an attempt to provoke him. "Yes, I'm quite curious as to how you managed to do this." Though he doubted that she would be honest, Kirei thought it'd be better to play along. Perhaps he might be surprised.
"I am a true Witness." That simple. "Don't worry, because even though I know more about you than you yourself for watching your future, I can no longer see it." She shrugged as if it was an unfortunate but inalterable reality, her expression being akin to that of someone whose cup of tea had just fallen to the ground, but it was no big deal.
"What? You can no longer see the future? What is this about?" It was curious, she first affirms to have such power, then the next moment she denies it. As long as she talks, he will listen.
"That's very simple. I am too involved with this War now, therefore its future is now shrouded in mystery to me."
"What? That's all it takes?"
"Yes, simple isn't it?" Her smile held some bitterness. "If you think about it, it makes complete sense. My power isn't so much seeing the future as it is a complete observation and visualization of something. The predictions come from this complete understanding."
"Oh, that is quite interesting."
Her expression changed to that of a person recollecting, thinking about the past. "I first realized it when it became clear that I was the only one who could make such a clear image out of a story. Perhaps I honed my ability without knowing by reading all of these stories. Anyway, do you know why my involvement impedes me from predicting the future?"
"I have a few guesses, but I'd prefer if you would enlighten me."
She let out a laugh. "I knew this would be worth it. No matter what others may think, you actually are quite the reasonable guy, always ready to talk and listen. So, you see, from my point of view, once I'm in it, the system becomes unstable, if I were to predict something, then act differently due to it, the system changes, the old prediction becomes obsolete, the conditions are not the same." She didn't look like she was lying, and it made sense.
"So you're saying that it's impossible to predict a situation with which you are involved as the mere act of predicting changes the future changes it, therefore invalidating the whole process."
"Exactly. Perhaps my ancestors did not realize the true nature of their gift, thus getting themselves too involved with everything and eventually 'losing' their powers without knowing the reason why."
That was quite the information, but there was still something that nagged at Kirei. "Why are you telling me this? Also, why are you exposing yourself in this War?" Might she have a wish she want granted? But then, why put in such jeopardy by disclosing her ability?
"Well, to put it simply… I am not much different from you. I seek only to relieve myself from the boredom of ordinary life, I want entertainment." Kirei felt a chill down his spine, so that's what it felt to hear someone else speak that word with such heaviness. "At first I was content with books, but no more, I wished to live my own adventure, no matter what others thought. Besides, if I kept quiet about my powers, it'd be too unfair, no?" She started to walk towards the church's doors.
"I see, so that's why you let the both of us know of this."
"Of course, let's see if either of you can beat me." She then pulled the doors and Emiya Shirou fell inside the church.
His expression seemed mildly angered, Kirei observed that he seemed to have no remorse for eavesdropping. "So, you know much about what's going on right? Do you know how to save Sakura?" That was so much like him, direct to the point, he doesn't even care who it so long as it might give him an answer.
Her smile was almost sadistic. "Too bad, the necessary tools to release her from the current predicament are not here. Well, I could show you what is needed then, I'm sure you could eventually learn to reproduce it, but I feel like leaving you with this dilemma." Shirou's face was almost comically confused. Kirei guessed that she was talking about something from the War that was supposed to have happened, not this distorted present.
Then his expression changed to a more determined one. "If you won't tell me, then I will just have to make you!" How easily he attacked someone. Before he could reach Carmen though, Kirei had him on the ground.
"I'm sorry, Emiya Shirou, but this is neutral ground. What kind of supervisor would I be if I just let two Masters fight in this church?" He had Shirou in a lock.
Shirou tried to struggle but it was in vain. "Damn it. What are you talking about? You attacked and tried to rob a Master's Servant! You hypocrite."
"Well, I failed, didn't I? I'm not a Master, this fact doesn't change." It seemed like the woman would not talk about Gilgamesh.
She walked out of the church. She turned before leaving. "One last thing. Kotomine Kirei, in all of the futures that I saw, you never found an answer, I'm sorry, but I don't think that you can find it in this War." She then left.
His expression did not change, but Kirei was in turmoil inside. What did she mean? Might this all be in vain?
"Ouch, I don't know what she meant, but can you let go of me now? She's gone." He didn't realize that he had held Shirou in a lock for so long.
"Oh, my apologies, Emiya Shirou. So, before you decided to eavesdrop, there must have been something you wanted with me."
"Never mind, I have an answer now. I'll be leaving now." So he did.
"My, my, what is with these people, just doing as they please."
Tohsaka Rin was walking through the shopping district. What was she doing there again? Oh yes, she had to get something to eat since she ended up breaking her cooperation with Shirou. Still, why was she paying so much attention to her surroundings? All she came for was to buy some food to eat lunch, so why did it feel like she was looking for someone? Maybe she was still confused from that whole situation about Sakura.
As Rin is still putting her thoughts in order she sights someone she knows, unfortunately it is not someone that she wanted to see. The white-haired girl sees her in turn.
"Ah, Tohsaka/Einzbern." They talk at the same time. Differently from last time, their voices are not charged with hostility, after all that was neither time nor place for a battle and it seemed like both of them were unaccompanied by their respective Servants. Rin left hers home; she could never know when Caster would decide to do something, so she had Saber do guard duty.
Rin considered just leaving it at that and walking away, just as Ilyasviel started to do it, but she remembered something. "Ah Ilyasviel, wait." She called out to the small girl.
The girl turned with a scowl on her face. "What do you want? I don't have anything to talk about with you, and even if I did say I'd kill you next time I saw you, this isn't the time or place for it." Her expression then changed to something more sinister. "What, you want me to make good of my promise?" There was something disturbing about her smile.
Rin suppressed the chills. Somehow she felt that this was bigger than the War. "Caster is going after other Magi's books and knowledge, something feels off, so be careful. There's something off about him."
Ilyasviel looked surprised; she didn't seem to have expected a friendly warning. She quickly regained her demeanor. "Hah, who, cares about what he's planning? Berserker will just smash him like an insect, just like what he'll do to Saber then you." Her expression backed the words, she didn't listen.
Rin involuntarily bit her lip. That girl was being foolish, and somehow she had a bad feeling about it. "I'd be careful if I were you, Caster is more than meets the eye." Perhaps if she repeated herself Ilyasviel would listen.
It just worsened her mood. "You know, if you keep annoying me with that, I might just make good of my promise." She glared at Rin.
With that, Rin also got irritated. "Fine, have it your way, just remember that I warned you." She turned to walk away. They parted like this.
Shirou had spent the rest of the day looking for that woman, but he had no luck. He was angry hungry and tired when he got home just as the sun was setting. Rider welcomed him with her cold smile and the both of them did not talk to to each other much.
Sakura had still not woken up, which was quite troubling. Did that woman even really know how to save Sakura? If he was to find that out he'd first have to find the woman. He decided to take a risk. "Rider, we're going out tonight, we're looking for a Master." Her smile finally seemed true.