An Opportunity of Fate part 22a
Issei Ryudou-
Issei broke free from the Siren's area of control and ran past the large Greek style Temple. Scattered around were various statues. As much as he wanted to stop and look at them, or examine the garishly painted Temple, he had to move.
The trick was to eliminate Shinji before the Youkai returned, optimally after seizing the Book of the False Attendant. That would let him control the Youkai. He had several charms given to him last night by Grandmother for that very purpose.
He had been warned that her lair was in a different world. That he would no longer be entirely on Earth anymore. He should NOT call on the local Kami as any existent would be the Youkai's. And that he shouldn't call on the Celestial Kami as they might actually answer.
No, instead he should call on another source of authority. One both divine and mortal.
Issei stopped at the edge of a small cliff overlooking an endless sea. Shinji stood there, his Book laying at his feet.
Issei took a deep breath and took out one of the charms Grandmother had given him.
In the Emperor's name and by his warrant
I seize the Book of the False Attendant
He took the warrant and folded it into a bird shape and breathed a moment of life into it. A wave of fatigue rolled through him. He was still new at this. He knew that many contracted with minor kami to power their shinigami
It fluttered toward the book, silent on the air. It landed on the Book and unfolded itself, before activating in a flash of blue.
Issei shook his head, Shinji had noticed none of it. He began to clamber down the stairs to the beach. Surely he would hear that.
Shinji didn't turn until he was near the lowest step. "So you managed to beat her. And now you are here for me. How does it feel to be a hero, Shirou?" He then blinked and stared at Issei. "What?"
"Right now Emiya is being a hero and saving our school. Something I could never do. I am not a hero like him or Tohsaka or Matou." 'Or Ayako.' He added in his head.
Shinji reached down and picked up the Book lying at his feet. He paid no attention to the piece of paper that lay across one of the covers. Shinji just sneered at Issei, "That is definitely the truth. What exactly do you expect to do here anyway? Nag me to death? Persuade me to turn myself in?"
Speed and ruthlessness were key to this next part. If he succeeded he would have killed a man, a person who could have been a friend had either tried harder. He hadn't actually thought through what this would entail, that he would have to kill Shinji.
Or watch Fuyuki City die.
It had to be done.
"No, Shinji. The time for talk is over." He reached into his pocket for the second of the warrants Grandmother had given him. He placed it in the air between himself and Shinji and chanted,
In the Emperor's Name and by His Warrant,
I Condemn Shinji Matou.
For Risking the Lives and Souls of the People of Fuyuki City
By Unlawful Traffic with a Youkai
The Sentence is death.
Shinji backed away, a look of fear crossing his face. "What the hell…?"
The Warrant Ofuda burnt in the air between them.
He could hear the old woman's voice, even now, "Speed and ruthlessness. Shinji will first react with shock at the unexpected sight. Then he will run. You will not catch him in time. Close in quickly and kill him. Mercy will do the rest."
Issei moved forward rapidly, pulling out Mercy and dropping the sheath to the ground. Shinji was still staring at him in shock, his body just beginning to turn to run. One swift stab, the feel as the Dragon's Tooth Knife sank into Shinji's abdomen.
There was a flash of blue as Mercy did its work. It would only kill the evil or those wishing release. It killed swiftly and supposedly without pain. Although who would know the truth of the last bit?
It would stay with Issei, until the day he died; he would see Shinji's eyes change from confusion to fear to shock. Then they flashed blue and when the blue vanished, Shinji was gone.
It truly hit him then. The enormity of what he had done. Of how quickly his expected life had unraveled, his new one leading to who knew where. Not to enlightenment most likely.
Shinji collapsed, pulling Mercy from Issei's grip. Issei just stood there blinking and listening to the waves crash upon the beach. He absently picked up the Book of False Attendent.
What did he do now? He'd had a plan, but he couldn't get past the moment. 'I am in shock.'
So he just stood there, his mind racing and yet empty.
Caster came upon him.
Issei wasn't ready. He had the Book, but before he could say a word, the beautiful purple haired woman placed a hand over his face.
"Shhhhssh. I have plans for you."
Issei felt as terror flushed through him. This being was so very powerful. How had he thought a mere Book would protect him? He struggled feebly against her vastly greater strength.
He felt a bright pain on the side of his neck and felt as Caster began to nuzzle him. Drinking his blood.
And more. Drinking his mind.
Any thought of resistance disappeared as an unbearable ecstasy over took him. It wasn't physical or even mental, but he could he could feel an intense esoteric pleasure course through him. As she took from his life, she gave a tiny bit to his soul.
The last words he heard as he drifted into darkness were, "Thank you Issei Ryudo for your sacrifice."
And there was nothing.
-Scene Break—
Arturia Pendragon-
Arturia was angry. She was angry her current class denyied her the armor she had grown to count on. The enemies she had faced had been numerous but not truly serious. And yet she was wounded.
She had multiple cuts and lacerations, several bruises where she had blocked a giant's blow with her bare arm, forgetting momentarily it was unarmored. Were she not a Heroic Spirit, likely her arms would have been shattered. Instead she was merely in pain from nearly broken bones. She could feel poison moving through her legs from the several bites she had received from those damn hell hounds.
All of it would have been avoided had her armor been with her. She glared at her companion, Roland as he charged the Chimera.
"For God and Glory!" he cried. He was probably completely unharmed. Armor and a shield.
It just wasn't fair. She was a Knight, not some backwoods bushwhacker!
The witch they had been fighting had disappeared, conveniently leaving a monster behind so they couldn't chase her. A monster of decent power, one that sound tactics dictated should have been released earlier. Assuming Caster had wanted to win this battle and was not merely indulging in yet another head game.
There was a part of Arturia that simply hated magi. She had known so many in her life, some who merely dabbled a bit with the Art and others who took it as their life's work. Everything was always overcomplicated with them. Merlin had his useful but often contradictory advice. Morgan never quite deciding what side she was on. And Nimue, who Arturia was half convinced had done something to Merlin, her advice had seemed sound as well.
Not that it had done anything to stop the nightmare of Camlaan.
She carried Shirou's unconscious body to where Rin and Sakura lay. Wind was whipping around her as she dispelled Invisible Air. She could fight the Chimera without Excalibur, but what was the point? She would simply get injured to no real purpose.
A groggy but naked Sakura stood up and helped her with Shirou. "Your sword… I can see it."
Excalibur. The Sword of Promised Victory. Her greatest weapon.
Her greatest mistake.
"Sakura, you are naked. Cover yourself." Arturia said shortly. She noted the shock in the girl's eyes, the frantic scramble to cover up. Arturia took Emiya's school jacket and wrapped it around her. Sakura just stared at her, the surprise of being helped by someone nearly bringing tears to Arturia's eyes.
Had Morgan been that neglected in that castle in Cornwall? Had her magic teachers done something horrific to her as had been done to this child before her? Why did Sakura remind her of Morgan anyway? Was it some last ditch grasp to figure where Arturia's life had started to go wrong?
She desperately needed to think. And there was no time. There was never time.
Sakura quietly said, "You are glowing. Everything around you…."
Arturia gathered in the energy of the surrounding area. It was somewhat drained from the fight before and by the nature of the boundary field that Caster had set up. But Excalibur drew not only from the power that existed now, but also from the hopes and dreams of the future. As long as the world stood, as long as she herself did not give into despair, Excalibur would find a way.
Even if she was the last person, dying on a field of battle, she would be victorious. Camlaan. Such a hollow victory.
Arturia stood there one hand holding a glowing Excalibur as it gathered energy, "Children, let me tell you a tale. A tale of a foolish King who wished only to protect her kingdom. She fought and she fought until there was peace. Amongst her many treasures she had two she prized the most. A sword that could win any battle and a sheath for that sword that could avoid any injury and heal any wound.
"She was asked by her wisest advisor, and this would be some of his last advice." Arturia swallowed heavily. Merlin had always been so annoying, but his counsel had been welcome. "A time will come when fate may steal one away. Which do you prize most?"
Arturia could see Rin begin to stir and follow along her story.
Sakura asked, "What happened next?"
Arturia said nothing, merely lined up her shot. "Rin, can you get Roland out of the line of fire. You may need to use a command spell."
Rin stood up unsteadily and looked at the battlefield.
Roland was currently flat on his back with the Chimera trying to crush him, "I could use some help here!" Roland was covered in a wave of fire as the serpents head breathed on him.
Rin whined, "I can't believe I am using a Command Spell for this." She sighed, "Saber, return to my side. Let nothing stop you."
There was a woosh and Roland was standing next to Rin smelling of heated metal. "Thanks." He looked to Arturia, "That monster is definitely a level above what we were fighting. We will need a plan…." He noticed the line of white fire dancing around Arturia. "Or we could use your hidden Noble Phantasm and kill it in one shot?"
Arturia let herself smile just slightly at him.
EXCALIBUR!
A line of white fire, of holy light, rushed from Arturia's sword and destroyed the Chimera utterly.
Roland shook his head and muttered something in Alemannic.
Rin said, "My God. No wonder it is called the Sword of Promised Victory. Who could stand against that?"
Sakura pulled the coat she was wearing closer, "That story, the one with the King. How did it end?"
Arturia looked away.
Rin touched her shoulder, her eyes asking.
Arturia nodded.
Rin cleared her throat and said, "I can finish that story. Although I do not think that King was a fool. She chose to protect the sword, Excalibur. The might of which you have now seen. And in time she lost Avalon, the magical sheath. With it, no one could have hurt her. Not even Excalibur itself could harm her."
Sakura nodded slowly, "I understand. You did make the wrong choice, but understandably. With such power as Excalibur, to know you could win your victories. You lived much of your life in war."
"What does a victory mean if you are dead?" She raised Excalibur again, the winds wrapping around it once more. "I was King, I should have known better!" She looked at Excalibur in her hand. It was such a beautiful blade. Even now, even knowing what she did, Arturia was not sure she could have made the other choice.
Wisdom was not in her. Arturia closed her eyes and summoned Invisible Air once more. "I am a creature of war. My first battle was mere days after becoming King. My first campaign shortly after." She would not weep. "Avalon was my chance at peace, given to me by the fae as willingly as Excalibur. 'Those who would live by the sword shall die by the sword.'" She sighed, "And so I have."
Sakura said, "You are much too hard on yourself."
Arturia just shrugged it off. She had been King. She should have known better. She lifted Shirou. "We should go."
Rin did something and the time spell dissolved. "Give me a few minutes to disassemble this grid. Can you give me a hand Sakura?"
Arturia carried Shirou back to the car. She looked down at her idiotic Master. She was angry with him as well, but her feelings were more complicated than just anger. Her feeling for her past Master had been simple and harsh. Kiritsugu's ends had appeal, but his means had been despicable. She closed her eyes in memory of poor Lancer. His curse had turned true, nothing but misfortune had come from the fourth war.
And here she was back fighting for Kiritsugu's adopted son to stop the Grail itself. He had basically told her that there would be no wish for her, no opportunity to wash away her failures. And yet she still served. Yes she had sworn to aid him, but that had been in the framework of the Grail War. She was not obligated to aide him under these circumstances.
Yet she would. She held him closer. She had felt this before. And buried it deep. Pretended that she couldn't feel it. That she was King. That she had to be above it all to maintain her pretense that was male. She could never let her attraction show, could not allow love's sweet sting to sway her course.
She had felt it. And she was feeling it now for Shirou. Only it was much harder to pretend she felt nothing when everyone knew. When everyone treated her with respect, but still female. It was much harder to pretend not to feel when she was Lily King and not Arturia Pendragon.
When he had somehow summoned that demonic blade during the fight, her concern had not been for the others or even herself. It had been for him, for the damage wielding such a blade could do physically and spiritually.
She wanted to yell and scream at him for his recklessness. Not just from what she had seen today, but also what she had seen from his past. Didn't he realize how his death would damage Rin and break poor Sakura?
Of what it would do to her?
No best not think like that. Her real body, her real self, lay dying on the fields of Camlaan. She had never had a lover, nor would she here. For he loved Rin and Sakura, the poor twit.
No she would bury these feelings as she always did. Shirou would never know. Arturia whimsically tousled Shirou's hair with a slight smile.
But if all of this were just a fever dream of a dying woman, she would savor what she could.
At the car, Arturia waited for the others.
-Scene Break—
Cassandra Martel-
Cassandra gazed impassively the bed Luvia was sleeping on.
How would she react to what Cassandra had done? Would she react as a Magus or as a woman? She looked away. It had not been an easy decision, but it was the only one that had enabled all of them to survive.
Ajax looked down at the girl, "She will live?"
"Yes, the Healing Circle will see to that. She should wake in a bit less than a day." She examined Ajax, "Do you regret what I asked you to do?"
"You forget that I fought in a long and unpleasant war. I have done worse for less cause." He frowned, "Although I fear her displeasure."
"You like her?"
Ajax simply said, "Yes." And left the room to the balcony. He faded away to spirit form.
Cassandra looked at the three Command Spells on here arm. He still trusted her even if he didn't need her as much. She hadn't realize how much power it had taken to try to recharge him.
Luvia had power to spare.
Just one more way to prove how she could never catch up to the older more established families. Efficiency could only go so far in some matters.
There was a beeping sound from one of her laptops. It had been ringing all morning as a battle had been fought over a local school. The magic had peaked around ten an held steady for about ten minutes.
Then it had gone off her calibrated scale.
A very powerful Noble Phantasm perhaps?
And now another major thaumaterlogical battle in the middle of the day? Were these people insane?
She glanced at the muted television. Still normal programming. A little blurb about students released early from a local school but nothing more. Still under wraps for now.
She checked the location. The Matou estate. She frowned. Why would anyone attack there? Only one Servant involved… Unless that creepy Zouken was the Master of Assassin.
That idea sent chill down her back.
She walked to the kitchen for some food and something with caffeine to drink. She had the data to process further from the Homurabura Gakuen battle, not to mention changing some parameters on her software to allow for higher end magic bursts.
Today might be a day of rest for her Servant, but it would be a long one for her.
-Scene Break—
Shirou Emiya
Shirou was tired and thirsty as he continued to run. In Gothic style plate armor. All across what looked like a battlefield.
He slowed for just a moment when he came across a hill. Ahill he had scene in his dreams. Only hadn't there been a building on top of it? There had been an anvil and nearby a castle.
Not here. Just a battle field slowly recovering from a massive clash of arms….
The sound of a horse brought him back to his current state. A woman's voice called out to him, "Did I say you could slow down, Shirou. Run like you mean it!"
Something impacted hard on his shoulder causing his armor to clang.
He picked up the pace.
CG Pendragon rode past him, "Follow me! To the hill. As fast as you can."
Shirou ran, gasping, up the hill at full speed. As he topped the summit he looked around.
CG Pendragon was preparing a meal on a table. There was no visible kitchen or source. Still it smelled delicious.
Shirou removed the helmet and slowly walked to the table.
CG Pendragon looked at him an waved her hand at him. He was back in his regular clothes. "How?"
She raised an eyebrow, "Nothing you see here is real, just a stream of concepts reconstructed by your sleeping mind, akin to dreaming."
"But…."
"Magic. Okay, Shirou. Magic."
Shirou swallowed, "Why am I here?"
CG Pendragon sighed, "Yesterday I gave you a gift. Today proved you were not fully ready for it. I can't take it back without killing you." She loaded her plate. "Now I could try to teach you to be sensible, but I don't have the time." She looked up at him with her bright grey eyes, "So I need to do it the hard way. By building up your internal resistances directly." She sat down and waited for him. "That will be useful later."
Shirou built his own plate. A Western style meal. He assembled a sandwich. "But I still don't understand how this is helping? Or why you are here."
"Let me ask you this. Is your body made of swords?"
Shirou just stared at her. "What is that supposed to mean? Is it important?"
She looked thoughtful as she took a bite of her own sandwich. She swallowed it. "Potentially, yes."
Shirou took a bite his own sandwich, waiting.
"The man you saw yesterday was one possible form you could take, a fellow Counter Guardian. As you are so similar you experienced Soul Resonance. I was curious what it gained you." She laughed, "Should have known it would be his collection."
Shirou shrugged.
CG Pendragon turned serious, "This could be problematic. If you only gained his weapons without his knowledge…. Well it is good and bad."
"I could have gained more?"
"Yes, but if you had, you would be more like him. Useful, but a waste of this experiment. I took a risk taking you there. But if that statement nothing, your aria key and reality marble are different. Hmm." She looked up at him. "Well eat up, looks like I will need to kick off my training regime."
"More running?"
She smiled sadly at him, "Among other things. I can't iron out you physical weakness in here, but the others…. I am sorry Shirou. This will be… unpleasant." And she finished her lunch.
Shirou sat there quietly, 'How bad could a dream get?'
-Scene Break—
CG Emiya-
Emiya awoke. He looked about, but he was alone. "Vindictive bitch."
The air seemed cleaner somehow. Someone other than Alaya must have visited him. Or the Resonance from his younger selves were influencing him somehow.
He looked at the various screens. All of them but one remained. This world's Shirou was now denied him. Now. When he finally remember how much he had needed that Resonance to survive.
His heart burned as he thought what failure would bring. Could he bring himself to kill Rin? Or Sakura? Or Ilya and Taiga? His friends and workmates?
They hadn't felt so real until now. Now they were unbelievably precious to him. He had to save them.
But there was one he knew he couldn't save. And how it hurt. His beloved Arturia. No matter what he did she would disappear.
Even death he had failed her. Search forever and you will find her. Such was his task.
But with each sacrifice, with each unsung victory, he had grown calloused and bitter. And forgotten his pledge.
It was too late now.
But maybe he could save this one. Wouldn't it be nice to save her for a change? He smiled.
He had done the impossible before.
He looked down. Written in the cracked earth that made this place.
You are not alone.
His eyes were bright and the smile slipped into his everyday smirk. "Time to save the world… again."
-End Part—
A/N- Sorry. Been ill. I will try to get the next part out sooner, if only to visualize new scenes!
Thanks again for reading. Hope you enjoy.