AN: Hi everyone! I'm back! I know I said I wouldn't be writing and all, but I have time to spare, and there's nothing to do now. This will be the last chapter I publish until the end of the semester though. This chapter, especially the beginning, was very difficult to write from a male point of view, so don't flame me too much. I may write omakes (see Plot Bunnies and Omakes), but no new chapters. So yeah, enjoy the chapter!
Chapter 3: The Holy Grail War
HARRY P.O.V.
'Servant? Ruler? What the hell are you talking about? Is this some kind of joke?' Miss Mitsuzuri asks me mentally.
'I-um-I'm just as clueless as you!' I reply indignantly. She sighs.
'Ugh, alright then. Our first course of action is to find someone to explain this Servant thing to us,' Miss Mitsuzuri suggests.
'That sounds good,' I reply. I am about to walk out of her bedroom when she suddenly screeches.
'Where do you think you're going! Put some clothes on me!' she screams. I look down at myself. Oh. That's why. She's in her underwear. I feel my face heat up. I look in the mirror to see my face the color of Ron's hair.
'W-w-where are y-y-your c-clothes, Miss M-Mitsuzuri?' I ask her, still blushing.
'Check the dresser,' she commands. I walk over to her dresser, and open the top drawer to reveal...underwear. Still blushing, I reach in, randomly selecting an article of clothing. I open it up.
'I-Is this a good choice, Miss Mitsuzuri?' I stammer nervously. She sighs.
'I'm sorry, Ruler. I didn't realize this would be hard for you as well. How old are you anyway?' she asks mentally.
'11,' I answer.
'11! No wonder you're clueless about this,' she muses, sighing. 'Ruler, that's called a spaghetti strap top. That would be fine if we stayed here, but it's not OK for going out in this climate. Well, at least not by itself.'
I hold the top in my hands. Flipping it so the back faces me, I pull it over my head, thread my hands through the straps, and then pull the bottom of the top down.
'Now for the bottom. Close this drawer and open the bottom drawer first,' Miss Mitsuzuri commands. I follow her instructions to see more stacks of folded clothing. I pick one up and unfold it to reveal a pair of jeans. I flip the jeans so the back is facing me. Crouching slightly, I put my legs through the legs of the jeans and pull it up so the top lies at my, no, her waist. I really should remember that this is Miss Mitsuzuri's body, not mine.
'U-Um, what should I do next?' I inquire mentally.
'First, put on a belt. Open the 2nd drawer from the top. In it you'll find a pink sweatshirt. Put it on. Then open the drawer right below it. In it you'll find socks. Pull on a pair, then grab my keys and purse from my desk,' she instructs me. I pull open the 2nd drawer and find the sweatshirt she mentioned. I pull my sleeves through it, zipping it up all the way.
'You know, Ruler, you can unzip the sweatshirt a little,' I hear Miss Mitsuzuri suggest. I unzip the sweatshirt and look in the mirror. The spaghetti strap top is barely visible.
'You know, I wish that I could give you back control of your body Miss Mitsuzuri,' I mumble.
'I can understand the sentiment, Ruler, but there's nothing we can do about this. For now, just pull on some socks, and let's head out.'
SOME TIME LATER
'THIS IS REALLY FRUSTRATING!' Miss Mitsuzuri yells. Then, I hear it. The sound of fighting. Running towards the source of the sound, I hide in the bushes to observe the battle. And what a battle it is. I see a strange woman with blonde hair tied up in a bun like Professor McGonagall, dressed in what looks like blue armor. And she looks like she's wielding an invisible sword or something. Her opponent is a huge man with black hair and dark brown, almost black, skin, wearing a metallic skirt, and wielding a giant slab of rock? What the hell?
'Um, Miss Mitsuzuri? I think we've got something,' I inform her.
'You're right Ruler. Wait, isn't that Emiya? And Rin? What the hell are they doing there?' she muses.
'Emiya? Rin? Who are you talking about, Miss Mitsuzuri?' I inquire.
'They're classmates of mine, Ruler. But the question is, what are they doing here?' she asks rhetorically. I prepare myself to step out of the bushes and confront them when the myriad of battle sound disappears. Looking back at the two combatants, I see this Emiya person speaking with the blonde woman. She then charges…but not at the crazy, half-naked man. Her new target…is me. Wait WHAT!
"Whoa whoa whoa! I come in peace! Don't kill me!" I yell, raising my hands in surrender. The woman stops in front of me. I step forward nervously.
"Ayako…" I hear the girl names Rin mutter.
"Mitsuzuri-san…" Mister Emiya says.
"Shirou, this woman was a witness to the Holy Grail War. Unfortunately, I must eliminate her," the blond woman tells him, raising her sword. Holy Grail War?
"Don't, Saber!" he yells. Saber? Is that like Ruler?
"W-w-w-wait! I need to explain something first!" I yell, panicking.
"Say what you need to say, Miss, because unfortunately, those must be your last words," the blond woman tells me.
"Um…earlier this evening, another presence appeared in my head, saying something about the Holy Grail and Servant Ruler, or something like that," I stammer nervously. Their eyes widen.
"Servant…Ruler?" Rin asks. "Are you sure that's what he said, Ayako?"
"Yes, Rin, I'm sure," I reply nervously. She sighs.
"I've only ever heard of one other instance of Servant Ruler. There was a Servant Ruler summoned in the European Great Grail War. Supposedly the Ruler-class servant, Joan of Arc, was supposed to be the overseer of the Grail War. I don't understand why Ruler appeared in this war, what with the creepy priest guy still here. As far as I know though, Ruler, you have power over all Servants," she concludes.
"Before this, though, can you explain what the hell this 'Grail War' thing even is? And what Servants are? Because I have absolutely no idea whatsoever," I inform her. She sighs.
"You don't even know what the Grail War is? I thought all Servants knew that! Oh well, I'll explain it. We do have a bit of a problem though; Berserker," she tells me, pointing to the large male Servant. As Saber backs away, I lower my hands. Then, I hear a voice cut through the silence.
"Berserker, kill the brown-haired girl," a high-pitched, childlike voice commands. The man's skin glows a deep crimson as he prepares for his charge. I bring my hands up to form a meager defense. As he charges, I feel bad that Miss Mitsuzuri, a bystander, is going to die. I don't want her to die. If she dies, what happens to me? As he gets close, I scream. As he begins his swing, time seems to slow down.
"Do you desire power?" A strange, disembodied voice asks.
'YES!' My mind screams.
"Harry, you already possess the power you seek. You just need to unlock it. Focus. Focus on yourself. Focus on your reason for fighting. Do not turn back, Harry. Do not fear. Face forward, and shout out the name of your power!" the voice commands. As Berserker's sword is about to hit me, I feel a strange rushing feeling. I feel my hands, moving by themselves, seemingly holding invisible swords to block Berserker's strike. As the microseconds pass, I learn the name of my new power.
"DARK IMPETUS!" I yell as a blinding white light encompasses me. As Berserker steps back, I feel two weights forming, one in each hand. When the light clears, I look around. Unfortunately, I'm still stuck in Miss Mitsuzuri's body. However, my outfit has changed. On top of my previous attire, I'm wearing a strange black hooded cloak. I feel my feet surrounded by shadows. Gazing down to my hands, I see that I am holding two strange, ethereal blades of a light-blue color. My hands are covered in dark black gloves. Looking at Berserker, I see a large gash in his chest.
"Wha…what the hell just happened?" Rin stutters.
"Honestly Rin, I have no idea. I'm just as clueless as you are," I reply.
"Berserker! What are you doing! Kill the brown-haired girl over there!" the high, childlike voice commands. I swear, if Voldemort was a girl, that would be what she'd sound like. I see Berserker raise his sword, if it can be called that, again. I ready my new swords. As Berserker charges at me madly, I see Rin screaming something to Mister Emiya. He in turn yells something unintelligible, well, to me anyway, to Saber. As his sword slices through Miss Mitsuzuri's body, I feel my twin blades heating up. Everything stops. Then, slowly, to my amazement, time starts to rewind.
'Wha…what did you do, Ruler? What the hell is going on?' Miss Mitsuzuri asks me.
'Don't ask me, I'm figuring this stuff out as I go,' I reply mentally. Leaping back, I raise my twin blades and charge forward, pumping both demonic power and wizard magic into my legs to increase my strength and speed. As I rush past Berserker, I aim the blades at his heart. Or at least where I think his heart is. As my swords enter his body, time resumes. Berserker roars madly. I remove my swords from his body and jump back quickly. But his next move takes me by surprise, as he slices my torso with his slab of a sword and kicks me, sending me flying a good foot away.
"AYAKO!" I hear Rin scream.
"Not bad, girl. It seems you managed to remove 2 of Berserker's lives in the space of a few minutes," the high, cold, childlike voice comments. I look towards the source to see a small girl with white hair. But her most striking feature is her eyes. Her red eyes. Red, like Voldemort's. I grit my teeth as the pain begins to set in. Why can't I stop Berserker? Rin said I'm the moderator of this thing. I should be able to stop him. But I don't have many more thoughts, as my vision fades to black.
SOME TIME LATER
"Ayako? Ruler? Anyone in there? Hello?" I hear a familiar female voice call. I force my eyes to open.
"Can someone get the name of the truck that hit me?" I moan. My hand flies up to my throat. Oh great. Not only did I put Miss Mitsuzuri in danger, but I also got her hurt, and I'm still stuck in her body.
"AYAKO!" Rin screams, hugging me. This reminds me of someone though…Hermione! Her hugs are like this.
"Owowowowowow! You're hurting Miss Mitsuzuri's body!" I yell in pain. She pulls off, alarmed.
"What? Miss Mitsuzuri? Then, you're not Ayako, you're…" she trails off.
"Yeah," I respond, clutching my left side, which I assume Rin bandaged, "I'm sorry, but I'm not Miss Mitsuzuri. I'm-aggh!-Ruler," I reply, groaning in pain.
"WHERE'S AYAKO! LET ME TALK TO AYAKO NOW!" she yells, shaking me. That hurts!
"Owowowow!" I yell. She pulls off.
"Oh, I'm sorry!" she responds, seeing my pain. But she's right. Where is Miss Mitsuzuri, anyway?
'Um, Miss Mitsuzuri? Miss Mitsuzuri? Are you in there?' I yell mentally. Hearing no response, I try the same a few times.
'Mhm,' I hear her moan softly. 'Wha…Ruler? Is that you?'
'Yes, it's me,' I respond.
'We were really out of our element, weren't we, Ruler?' she asks solemnly.
'Yeah. That we were,' I reply, 'But we can't back out at this point.'
'Can…Can I talk to Rin?' Miss Mitsuzuri asks finally.
'Let me try,' I reply, focusing on her mind. Suddenly, I find myself in a void filled with nothing but darkness for miles.
'Ruler?' I hear Miss Mitsuzuri's voice ask, echoing in the open space.
'Did it work?' I ask.
'I-I think it did,' she replies. Her voice cuts off after that. As she talks to Rin, I take the time to think about what happened. What were those blades I had? Could that be a Sacred Gear or whatever that thing Dad mentioned was? What can I do with it? What is the Holy Grail War? Why am I here? Who summoned me? All the summoning logs said were that I was summoned to this world. But by whom? It definitely wasn't Miss Mitsuzuri. Wait. If this is a Holy Grail War, could I have been summoned by the Holy Grail? But that's impossible. The Holy Grail is just a cup used by Jesus in the Last Supper, right? Isn't it? How can it be sentient?
'Ruler,' I hear Miss Mitsuzuri call, interrupting my thoughts.
'Miss Mitsuzuri,' I reply.
'Cut the act, Ruler. We were nearly killed. Rin said that the combatants in the war are supposed to be great heroes called Heroic Spirits who are summoned by the Holy Grail. If so, they should be great warriors. Then what was up with the pathetic display earlier?' she asks indignantly.
'I-I-I…I honestly don't know! I told you, I was responding to a summoning by someone here who wanted his or her wish granted. Next thing I know, I end up in your head and told I'm Servant Ruler or something! I don't even know what's going on!' I reply nervously.
'Don't lie to me, Ruler!' Miss Mitsuzuri yells back.
'I'm not lying! Really! That was the first time I'd fought someone outside of training! Really! I'm really just an 11-year old British kid from a parallel world!' I assure her.
'Parallel world? So you're not a Heroic Spirit?' she asks.
'I'm no hero! Whenever I saved people, that too like once, it was because I had help and sheer dumb luck! I don't deserve to be called a hero,' I reply.
'He is correct, Miss Mitsuzuri. He is not from this world, but because the time of his summoning coincided with the time for the Grail War's summonings, he was forced into this conflict as an unwilling participant,' the strange voice from earlier interrupts.
'Who are you!' Miss Mitsuzuri and I yell.
'I am the embodiment of his power, Miss Mitsuzuri. I am always with him,' the voice responds.
'So you're a part of Ruler?' Miss Mitsuzuri asks.
'That is correct,' the voice responds.
'What should I call you?' I ask.
'You may call me Oxtarhne,' the voice responds. Oxtarhne? What kind of weird name is that?
'Um, Ruler? Rin wants to talk to you to try to figure out what the hell's going on. How do I give you back control?' she asks.
'I dunno. All I did was focus on your mind. Try focusing on my mind, Miss Mitsuzuri,' I suggest. In the blink of an eye, I find myself staring at Rin. I blink once. Then twice.
"Um, Ruler?" Rin calls.
"Yes?" I reply.
"Ayako explained that you're not a Heroic Spirit? And that you were summoned to grant someone's wish?" she asks.
"Yes, that's correct," I reply.
"Are…Are you like some genie or something?" she asks.
"Genie? Where did that come from?" I ask, confused.
"So you're not a genie, OK. Then what are you?" she asks. Ugh. I have to tell her.
"Um…Rin? To put it simply…um, er…I'm a Devil. A bona fide Devil. Lives in the Underworld, grants the wishes of humans, has black bat wings, all that jazz. My skin is not red, and I don't have horns though. Most Devils look like humans," I explain. I expect her to laugh. Instead, her face takes on an expression that I'd expect to see on Hermione's face when she's learning something new.
"So if you're a Devil, then Angels and Fallen Angels must exist too, right?" she asks.
"Yes, Angels and Fallen Angels exist too. In fact, Archangel Michael, the current Lucifer, and Azazel are drinking buddies with my Dad," I inform her calmly. Yes. I couldn't believe my ears when Mum told me, but yes: Dad is drinking buddies with the leader of the Three Factions.
"Wha…drinking buddies? Huh?" Rin sputters. Tuning her out, I turn towards a new presence. I see the blond-haired woman from before.
"Um, hi, Saber, right?" I ask nervously. This lady is serious business. She doesn't just look like Professor McGonagall. Her presence is like Professor McGonagall's, Mum's presences, combined with that of a King's, all rolled into one.
"Yes. You may call me Saber. Nice to meet you," she replies, extending her hand. I take it nervously, shaking it. After she pulls back, I look up and finally notice her eyes. Bright emerald green. Almost…like…mine…I wonder if we're related?
"Um…not to be rude, Saber, but are you British?" I ask. She recoils in shock.
"I did not expect that question, but yes, I hail from Britain," she replies. OK, so that narrows down the list of heroes she could possibly be. But I've never heard of a female knight from Britain. Guinevere? No, Arthur and Lancelot wouldn't have let her wield a sword like Saber does. So who is it?
"Oh, that's cool. I'm originally from Britain too," I reply, smiling.
"Ah. I understand now. Rin says you are from a parallel world. So how is my homeland now?" she asks.
"It's a bit strange for me personally Saber. There are two worlds. One is the Muggle world, the other is the wizarding world," I begin. At this she perks up.
"Wizarding world?" she inquires, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes, wizarding world. Compared to the Muggle World, the wizarding world is about 100 to 200 years behind in terms of society and culture and such. They still have arranged marriages and bride prices and such," I growl.
"Is that a bad thing? Such things were common practice in my time," Saber informs me.
"That just shows how far behind the wizarding world is, Saber. In the Muggle world, people marry out of love. There are no arranged marriages. You marry who you want when you want, and divorce freely. It gives women more rights and more freedom," I inform her. She frowns.
"Ah, I see then, how you could consider the customs of my time backwards in that case," she muses.
"But that's not all, Saber. The place is full of bigotry based purely on one's ancestry. There are the purebloods, who believe that those born to Muggle parents are inferior. They think that magic should be kept within the magical families. There are the halfbloods, like me, born to one pureblood and one halfblood or muggleborn. Then there are the muggleborns, born to two muggle or muggleborn parents. You're considered purebloods if at least your grandparents were all magical. In my case, my children would be pureblood if I marry a pureblood or halfblood. If I marry a muggleborn, then my grandchildren would be considered pure because their grandparents have magic," I begin.
"Go on," she commands solelmly.
"There are extremist elements of the pureblood society. One wizard in particular is known as the worst Dark Lord to ever live. His name is Lord Voldemort," I tell her.
"Lord…Voldemort? That's no lord's name," Saber informs me.
"I know that now. He made it up by rearranging his name. And truth be told, he's not even pureblood by their standards; rather, he's a halfblood, like me. He was born to Merope Gaunt, a squib, and Tom Riddle, a muggle she used a love potion on," I narrate. Her eyes narrow. I'm on a roll now. I remember when Dad told me this story.
"All in all, Saber, he's just a hypocrite who's using the bigotry for his own ends. But that's not all. Before I was born, there was a prophecy made about him and the one who will defeat him. This prophecy was heard by two people: Severus Snape, formerly one of his followers and Mum's first friend, and Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, my headmaster, currently the most powerful wizard on Earth, the only wizard that Riddle fears. Most importantly, though, he's the person who thinks he's the next Merlin or something and has made it his aim in life to ensure the 'Greater Good.' Did I mention that's his favorite phrase?" I explain, borderline ranting. She flinches at the mention of Merlin.
"What do the wizards think…of Merlin?" Saber asks nervously.
"People think he's the greatest wizard to ever live. They idolize Merlin. People use his name when they're surprised, like 'Merlin!' or 'Merlin's beard!' Not as expletives, but just as expressions of surprise. It's akin to using 'Bloody hell!' in a sense. Why? Did you know him?" I ask. She twitches again.
"Knew him? Of course I knew him. He was an accomplished wizard, true, but he was very very ANNOYING! HIS PRANKS WERE IMPOSSIBLE TO DEAL WITH!" she screeches. I break out into a wide grin.
"A prankster, eh? You probably don't want to meet my family then, Saber. My dad, godfather, and surrogate uncle were the most famous group of pranksters ever to hit our school. My friend's older brothers come close, but they still take the cake," I tell her, smiling. She shudders in response. Wait. She knew Merlin. But the only one who could know Merlin that well is…but she's a girl!
"Saber, are you, by chance, King Arthur?" I ask. Her eyes widen, and then she sighs.
"Yes. I am Arturia Pendragon, the Once and Future King, King Arthur. In that day and age…" she begins.
"You had to hide your gender. I understand, women's rights were nonexistent back then. But if you're King Arthur, why did you decide to become a Heroic Spirit?" I ask her.
"I…I wish to acquire the Holy Grail so that I can redo the selection of King. I failed my country by letting it fall to Mordred," she says finally.
"You shouldn't do that, Saber. Don't blame yourself. Everyone makes mistakes. You've learned from them, right?" I ask.
"I have, but I still feel that someone else would be better than me," she responds.
"Saber, listen," I begin, grabbing her shoulders, "there is a reason for everything. There is a reason you were picked to be King. I for one think you're a great King. King Arthur is still famous in Britain! They idolize you even more than they do Merlin! You're allowed to make mistakes! As long as you learn from them, making mistakes is OK!"
"But-but-but-but I…" she stammers.
"Saber, just listen. Don't beat yourself up over this. It's been like 500 years already! The world has picked itself up and moved on! You didn't fail Britain! Don't blame yourself! Blame your twisted sister! She's the one who brainwashed Mordred in the first place! And besides, you're not King anymore! Find a new reason to fight. It sounds to me like you're afraid to move on," I say, taunting her slightly.
"I AM NOT AFRAID! I CAN'T AFFORD TO BE AFRAID! I AM A KNIGHT!" she yells.
"Saber. You can be a knight and be terrified at the same time. What matters is bravery and courage. That's why people look up to knights. Not because they're fearless. Not because they're strong. It's because knights are brave. They are brave enough to face anything that comes their way. I looked up to your counterpart in my world, you know. My life was hell, and I wished for someone like you to come and save me from that hell. And look. Your kingdom has moved on without you. It doesn't need your help. But there is some other role out there for you. Find it, and live on," I assure her forcefully. Her head is bowed.
"What should I do then? That was my reason for fighting, Ruler. What do I fight for?" Saber finally asks.
"You need to answer that yourself, Saber. I was in your shoes once. I blamed myself for something that wasn't actually my fault. Then someone slapped me and told me to wise up and find a reason to fight. I found one. I fight to protect my friends and family. I may be weak now, and I know it, but I will get stronger, and I will protect them," I explain.
"OK Ruler. Can I get your name? No one really knows your legend anyway, since you're not a Heroic Spirit," she asks.
"Sure. I'm Harry. Harry Potter."
ONE WEEK LATER
This week has been mostly terrible. On the upside, I finally separated myself from Ayako (she finally let me call her that). On the downside, my contract with Ayako and Saber's contract with Shirou were both severed by Caster. She couldn't bind me to her, but for a while, she had Saber's Command Seals. Rin finally explained all of this to me. To top it off, she thought I'm cute and forcibly taught me a bunch of magic that I can use but would nearly kill me at this age and core size. Thankfully, her Master, Mr. Kuzuki, is a teacher at her school, and is taking care of Ayako. Caster did wipe her memories of me and the Grail War though.
But in the last two days, the shit really hit the fan, as Dad would say. I miss Mum. I miss Rose. I miss rubbing my face against Rose's cheek. Archer betrayed Rin for some inexplicable reason and proceeded to try to kill Shirou. Gilgamesh of all people showed up and killed Berserker and poor Illya. Well, to be fair, she did try to kill me, but she reminds me too much of Rose now, what with her size. Shirou finally defeated Archer, who turns out to be an alternate future self. All of them know that I'm a Devil and such. Currently I've been trapped by Gilgamesh and am forced to watch as Shirou fights Gilgamesh. Did I mention the Grail is corrupt?
In other news, Saber found a reason to fight. Her new reason? Love. That's right. She fell in love. Not with Shirou. He somehow managed to nab both Rin and Sakura, who happens to be her biological sister. Dad would call him lucky. I say he's in trouble. Not with me, I'm too young. Besides, we're distantly related; Godric Gryffindor is surprisingly a descendant of King Arthur through Mordred, of all people. No, Saber's in love with Shirou's future self. That's right. She loves Archer, the same Archer who is currently half-dead and is staying astralised to conserve prana. Oh look, an explosion.
"Damn you Faker!" I hear Gilgamesh yell. A few moments later, Shirou limps over to me. My containment disappears as Gilgamesh dies.
"What happened, Shirou?" I ask.
"I won, but the Grail absorbed him," he replies. Wait, if the Grail is absorbing Servants, then…Saber! Unfolding my wings, I burst into flight. I fly over to where Rin and Saber are fighting the corrupt Grail.
"Rin. Shirou. Harry," Saber calls, "I'm out of prana. I'm going to fade any second."
"No wait Saber!" Rin yells.
"Rin, it's no use. There's no saving me. But before I go, thank you for everything," she responds.
"Actually, Saber, if you can hold on for just a few moments, I can do something," I cut in.
"Well then do it! What's the holdup!" Rin screeches.
"The catch is that this procedure will sever your contract with her. She will be reincarnated into a Devil as a member of my peerage. In other words, she'll have to come back with me, but at least she'll be alive. Do you still want this?" I ask, retrieving my case of Evil Pieces from my pocket dimension.
"YES! PLEASE! DO IT! You'll visit, right?" Rin asks after agreeing. Nodding, I walk up to Saber, pulling out a Knight piece. I place the piece on her chest, and begin to chant.
"In my name as Harry James Potter, son of Count James Charlus Potter, scion of the Pillar House Potter of the 73 Pillars, I hereby bestow new life upon Arturia Pendragon as a Knight of my peerage, so mote it be!" I yell, thrusting the piece into her chest. She glows with a crimson light as the piece reincarnates her. Then, I feel Saber's spirit's power and presence jump trillionfold.
"Did that piece just do what I think it did?" Rin asks.
"What did it do, Rin?" I ask.
"It brought her entire essence as a Heroic Spirit to this plane from the Throne of Heroes. Not even the Grail can do that," she muses.
"I guess it's because part of her is here, and therefore calling the rest was easy enough," I muse. Honestly I don't know. I see the glow dissipate. Not much has changed. There are a couple of noticeable things though. One is that Saber now has her own core for both Wizardcraft and demonic power. She can now use her Noble Phantasm without help. The second is that…whoa…her bust is bigger. Wow.
"So I'm a Devil now?" Saber asks. I nod.
"To be specific, you're a Knight in my peerage. Now, there's one more thing I need to do before I head out. Rin, where's Archer?" I ask. Saber perks up at this.
"Archer? Why?" she asks.
"I am right here. I saw what you did, Harry. I am assuming that you shall do the same for me?" he asks.
"Of course. Seeing as you'll be around me all the time from now on, can I call you Shirou?" I ask.
"Obviously. Hurry though, I don't have much time," he replies, his voice indicating urgency. I quickly picked out my second Knight piece from the chest, and placed the chest back into my pocket dimension. Walking up to Shirou, and boy is he tall, so tall that I barely reach his stomach in terms of height, I reach up to try to place the piece on his chest. But I can't! He's too DAMN TALL!
"C-Can you stand on one knee? I'm too short to reach your chest," I ask nervously. I see Rin, Shirou from the past, and Saber standing beside me grinning at my lack of height. Growling at them, I turn back to Shirou (future self) and place the piece on his chest. I begin the reincarnation chant.
"In my name as Harry James Potter, son of Count James Charlus Potter, scion of the Pillar House Potter of the 73 Pillars, I hereby bestow new life upon Counter Guardian Shirou Emiya as a Knight of my peerage, so mote it be!" I yell, thrusting the piece into his chest. He glows with a crimson light as the piece reincarnates him into my second Knight. I never thought I'd get both my Knights in one day. Similar to what happened to Saber, Archer's power and presence jumped trillionfold. As the crimson light faded, Archer's form flashes into full visibility. I feel the demonic power lurking within him. The reincarnation worked.
"Harry…thank you for doing that," Archer tells me, "you managed to do what I've been trying to do ever since I became a Counter Guardian. I'm free," he concludes, smiling, tears brimming in his eyes.
"To answer your earlier question Rin, yes, we will visit. I don't know when, but we will visit," I inform her. She nods. I suddenly remember something Dad told me about the Potter family magics.
"Oh! Rin, I just remembered. Our family magic deals with parallel worlds, and that's how I came here. But you might know more about the origin story. When Dad told me, it seemed kind of weird," I begin.
"OK then Harry, what's so weird?" she replies.
"Dad told me that one of our ancestors met a weird looking vampire who taught him something…oh, what was it called?" I begin, pausing as I try to remember. Her eyes widen at the mention of the vampire.
"Was it called…Kaleidoscope?" Rin asks. Kaleidoscope? Hmm…Wait, it WAS KALEIDOSCOPE!
"How'd you know? It was Kaleidoscope," I reply, grinning. Her body starts shaking.
"Rin, what's wrong?" I ask worriedly.
"Zelretch…wizard marshall…YOUR ANCESTOR LEARNED FROM THE WIZARD MARSHALL KIRSCHUR ZELRETCH SCHWEINORG! DO YOU REALIZE HOW LUCKY YOU ARE, TO HAVE KEPT MAGIC TAUGHT BY HIM IN YOUR FAMILY! HIEEEEE!" she screeches in envy.
"Rin, that's just what Dad told me," I assure her. I feel my connection to this world fading as the Grail War system finally disappears after the Grail's destruction. It's time to go.
"Rin. Shirou. Give my regards to Sakura, OK?" I ask. They snap their heads to face me.
"You have to go already?" Rin asks, tearing up. Oh damn. I'm no good with crying girls. As if reading my mind, Shirou steps up and wraps his arms around her.
"It's OK, Rin, we'll see them again," he whispers softly.
"That I promise. And besides," I begin, walking up to her, "even if we're not in front of you, we're still always with you in here," I say, pointing to her heart. She shakes away her tears.
"Shirou," I call. He turns to face me. "Take care of both of them, OK? I'll kill you if you don't," I command. He nods in understanding. "Oh, and Shirou? It's alright to try to save people, but don't try to save those who don't deserve to be saved. Don't get yourself killed doing it either," I say. As I leave Saber and Archer time to say goodbye, I create a teleportation circle keyed to Potter Manor in the Underworld.
"Harry," I hear Saber call, "we're ready to go."
"Alright then. Saber, Archer, step onto the teleportation circle," I command. Nodding, they step onto the circle.
"Wait! Saber!" I hear Shirou call.
"What is it Shirou?" she asks.
"I forgot something. I should've done this a long time ago, but I want you to take this," he says. But there's nothing in his hands. I see him glow with a strange white light as he pulls something out of his body? A scabbard? What the hell is it…
"Avalon…all this time, it was there…but how did it…" Saber mutters.
"What's up Saber?" I ask her.
"That's Avalon, the Everdistant Utopia, my last and final Noble Phantasm. It was lost to me in life. That loss is why I ended up dying after the Battle of Camlann. But where did Shirou get it?" she muses.
"Now that you mention it, what catalyst did he use to summon you, Saber?" I ask, curious.
"It must've been Avalon within him. But where…wait…Kiritsugu! So he had it…" she mumbles.
"Who?" I ask.
"Emiya Kiritsugu, my Master in the Fourth Holy Grail War. I was frequently tasked with protecting his wife Irisviel," she replies.
"Saber…you had the freaking Magus Killer for a Master!" Rin screeches.
"Dad told me about his previous line of work, though he never mentioned you Saber. One thing I clearly remember from that fire is his face with tears of joy as he rescued me back then," Shirou jumps in. "But that's irrelevant. It should go to its rightful owner. Here," he concludes, handing it to her. Briefly dispelling Invisible Air, she slides the golden blade of Excalibur into its proper place in the scabbard. Placing it at her hip, she reapplies Invisible Air.
"Rin. Shirou. We'll see you again. Goodbye," I cut in solemnly, activating the circle. As Shirou steps out of the range of the circle, the world fades to white.
Mid-teleport, I feel my teleport redirected. I was planning on teleporting into the main hall, but oh well.
"Welcome back, Master Harry," I hear a familiar voice call as the world returns to full color. My study. Huh.
"Hey J.A.R.V.I.S.," I reply.
"Who might the two beside you be, Master Harry?" he inquires.
"Ah. These are my two new peerage members that I picked up while there. Both are Knights," I reply, as Saber and Shirou look at each other in confusion, clearly completely out of their element.
"Well then, I shall inform Master Charles, Mistress Dorea, Master James, and Mistress Lily of your return. You may find them in the main dining hall," J.A.R.V.I.S. informs me.
"OK then, thanks, J.A.R.V.I.S.!" I yell, grabbing Saber and Shirou's hands as I run out of my study. Running past the other studies, I arrive at the main dining hall, Saber and Shirou in tow. Unexpectedly, a rather large object collides with my body, pushing me to the ground. I look down, then grin. Rose!
"Harryharryharryharryharryharryharryharry! You're back!" she yells excitedly.
"Hi Rose," I groan. As expected, Rose's actions cause the others to walk over.
"Harry! You're back! I was worried sick!" Mum calls, hugging me tightly.
"Um…Mum, can you let go a little bit? I've got to introduce you," I ask. Frowning, she gently pulls off.
"Ehem…so yeah, um, this is Saber, and this is Shirou. They're my new Knights. So yeah. Saber, Shirou, this is my Mum, Lily Potter, my Dad, James Potter, my little sister Rose Potter, my brother Charles Michael Potter, my Grandmum Dorea Potter, and my Granddad Charlus Arthur Potter," I say nervously. As they mingle, I try to observe their reactions. Dad, Granddad, and Charlie are impressed by Shirou's height, while Mum and Grandmum are impressed by Saber's charisma and general presence. One conversation in particular stands out though.
"Miss…Saber, right? Is that your real name?" I hear Mum ask.
"Mrs. Potter, I…"
"Lily," Mum interrupts, "Call me Lily."
"Lily, in the world we came from, there was a reason to hide our real names. Shirou here went by the name Archer. Well, it could be explained by the fact that…"
"Saber, you suck at explaining complex things like this. Shirou's even worse. Let me handle this," I cut in. "Dad, Granddad, Charlie, you may want to hear this too. Let's sit down," I suggest, walking over to the dining hall. Once everyone is sitting, I begin the tale.
"You know how the summoning was to a parallel world, right? Well, midway through, my teleport was shifted, and I ended up involved in a huge mess over there. Turns out that over there, something called the Holy Grail War goes on every so often. Firstly, when they 'die,' heroes of legend are sent to a place called the Throne of Heroes. Then they are known as Heroic Spirits. For the Holy Grail War, 7 Magi, designated as 'Masters,' summon 7 Servants with the assistance of the Holy Grail, into 7 class designations. Saber, Archer, Lancer, Rider, Assassin, Caster, Berserker. These are the 7 classes," I explain, pausing to let the information sink in.
"So that means Saber and Shirou are heroes of legend?" Charlie asks.
"Saber yes. Shirou is a bit of an anomaly; I'll get back to him. Anyway, the last Master/Servant pair standing wins the Grail. That part is simple. However, the Grail was corrupt. An evil influence had corrupted it. This resulted in an eighth Servant: me. During my teleport, I was forced into the irregular Servant class of Ruler. The Ruler Servant class serves as the moderator for the Grail War. Unfortunately, at first, I didn't get a body of my own," I explain, pausing to drink water.
"So what happened, Harry?" Dad asks.
"What happened was that I was forced to share a body with its owner. Normally, I wouldn't have minded. Minor inconvenience. But in this case, it was really awkward. For some inexplicable reason, I ended up in a teenage girl's body. And before you ask Mum, no, I didn't do anything bad or inappropriate while in there. It was really weird because I arrived when she was wearing nothing but her underwear, and since I was somehow in control, I had to dress her. Ugh!" I explain, shuddering.
INSERT LONG-ASS EXPLANATION OF EVENTS IN THIS ENTIRE CHAPTER HERE
"So Harry, I get the whole Grail War thing, but who is Shirou? Why is he an anomaly?" Dad asks.
"That's a good question. See, you know how I mentioned that Saber's first contract was broken? The name of the first contractor was Shirou Emiya. Now you may ask: isn't that this Shirou's name? Yes. Yes it is. The Servant Shirou is an alternate version of the Master Shirou from the future. This is a future where he fulfilled his dream of becoming a hero. But in the process, he had to become what is known as a Counter Guardian," I reply.
INSERT LONG-ASS EXPLANATION OF COUNTER GUARDIANS HERE
"Oh my. That's a lot to take in. So now can we know who Saber really is?" Mum asks. I turn to her briefly. She nods.
Turning back to Mum, I gesture for Saber to stand up. "May I present Saber, whose true identity is the Once and Future King, King Arthur, Arturia Pendragon!" I announce pompously as she dispels Invisible Air and pulls out Excalibur.
"King…Arthur? A girl? Huh?" Dad sputters.
"It's a parallel world Dad, stuff could be different there. Don't forget. And keep in mind the state of women's rights back then," I explain. Mum nods in understanding.
"Oh, by the way Dad, Granddad, just to let you know, she's family. Distant though, but still family," I add. Their faces turn to shock.
"Related?" Mum stammers.
"Through you, actually, Mum. You're descended from Godric Gryffindor, who is descended through Mordred, of all people," I reply.
"Me?" she sputters.
"Yes, you," I confirm. I see Rose's eyes widen excitedly.
"You're King Arthur! COOL! You're my favorite!" Rose yells excitedly.
"Um…uh….Um…" Saber stammers.
"I know! I'll call you…you…you…Big Sis Turia!" she yells happily. She turns to Shirou. "And you'll be…be…be…Big Brother Shirou! Yay!" she yells, jumping everywhere excitedly. Saber turns to me.
"Is she always like this?" Saber asks me.
"She's 7 years old, Saber, give her a break. Big Sis Turia," I say softly, grinning. She blushes.
"Um…I…um…" Saber stammers.
"Anyway, Harry, it's time for you to meet DxD," Mum announces.
"Who?" I ask. What kind of name is that?
"Oh right, you don't know. DxD is the name for the group of people who saved us from the group called Qlippoth," Mum explains.
"Oh OK. Does this DxD group happen to include Rias Gremory's peerage?" I ask.
"Actually, it does. How do you know about them?" she asks.
"When he was explaining pocket dimensions, Dad mentioned them along with someone named, oh what was it, Xenovia or something, and how she used a pocket dimension to store her sword or something," I reply.
"That's right. Oh, speaking of which, Saber, let me tell you a little bit about this world's Excalibur and what happened to it," Mum begins. She perks up.
"Basically, during the war between the Three Factions, the sword broke into 7 fragments. Heaven took these fragments and reforged them into 7 swords. A lot happened, but eventually, they were taken up to Heaven and reforged and incorporated them into the Holy Sword Durandal. It was renamed Ex-Durandal, and is currently owned by Xenovia," she concludes, as Saber's face contorts in horror.
"Excalibur…broken…Durandal…" she mutters, shaking.
"It's OK Saber. Yours isn't broken. That's all that matters, right?" I reassure her, smiling. Her body stops shaking.
"Thanks Harry. I needed that," she replies.
"Harry. Go get ready. You've got a party to attend in a few hours," Dad interrupts.
"Huh? A party? Why?" I ask in confusion.
"Look at the calendar Harry," Mum says. I pull out my phone and open the calendar. The date is July 31. July 31. What's so important about…oh. My birthday. I look up to see the others grinning.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY HARRY!"
AN: So yeah, this'll be the last chapter for a while. I know I said I'm on hiatus, but I was bored. Now I'm really on hiatus for the next two weeks. If I really feel the need to write, I'll write omakes. No new chapters. This is it. Oh, about Oxtarhne. Try to guess where I got inspiration for this name. Note: Dark Impetus is essentially, in base form, the Mysterious Figure from Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep, except with the hood down and shadows near the feet. So yeah. That's a hint. Anyway, next chapter will feature more High School DxD characters. Harry meets Issei! Look forward to it! Also, check back on the omakes page for a Christmas special for each of my fics.
Anyway, see you guys next time!