EMIYA Shirou's Self-Centered Holy Grail War
Prelude Notes:
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The promised prelude to the next chapter, where things really get good.
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Chapter 4 - Self-Resolution
Half-conscious,
EMIYA woke up, only to found himself amidst a field of flowers and grass.
Well, this was a scenery he certainly hadn't expected to see.
A very vast grassland atop a plain, surrounded by water all around...
...Was he in Heaven?
EMIYA had thought for sure that he would've been sentenced to hell if anything, given his luck and the blood on his hands.
But, maybe his efforts had somehow been recognized, by someone up there...?
It was a long shot, but it was a comforting thought.
Somehow, it looked like Artoria here, too. Though her skin was much paler, and hair and eyes were green and blonde, as opposed opposed to her normal blonde and green.
Had Artoria been sent as the angel to guide him?
Well, certainly, Artoria and Ilya were probably the closest images he had to an angel would be like (as opposed to the mischievously devilish Rin), but he certainly hadn't expected to see Artoria here in his afterlife, of all places, as he died.
She approached him, staring at his face.
"How charming." She noted, stoically, "You look just like Alaya's progenitor, Adam."
"...What...?"
EMIYA was still half-asleep and barely cognizant of his surroundings, but perked up at the mention of "Alaya", the forces of Humanity that had enslaved him in the first place. "What you mean?"
"He was the first of my children to be called a human." She paused, considering something, 'Or perhaps more accurately speaking, it would be more accurate to say that he was the first "none-ape" to grace my presence, all those tens of thousands of years ago..."
...But that wasn't what he was asking about, and he wasn't even sure if she was trying to answer his question at all. She seemed more caught up in her reminiscence, than anything.
EMIYA had many more questions to ask as he started becoming more lucid, but all of a sudden, he started to feel the pull of The World coming back upon him, summoning him back to his proper place.
She saw this, and smiled at him.
"Now, don't make any more trouble for me or The Root, will you...?"
Suddenly, he felt a strange compulsion come upon him, as though some sort of restriction had applied to his subconscious. But before he could resist or ask any more questions about it, he found himself vanishing, into a sea of forgetfulness.
"Good luck...My son..."
And with that, EMIYA lost consciousness.
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Blinking, Archer awoke.
He had been summoned back.
Right back to where he started.
Archer sighed.
Of course.
Of course, that would've been too easy.
He had been so hopeful that it would've worked that time, but once again, his efforts had failed.
Well, whatever.
He still had plenty more attempts in him, and literally all the time in The World to try them. This wouldn't be a matter of how long he had, but rather he could endure against Emiya Shirou's stupidity. And if there was one thing he was good, it was at enduring.
This time, maybe he should ensure that Emiya Shirou survived for a few more days first, poisoning him along the way to weaken him all the while.
For some reason, though, a sudden wave of exhaustion and nausea hit him, and he felt exhausted just thinking about it, even though it was only a few more days he had to endure, and even though he had already resolved himself to endure through it when he had first decided on killing Emiya Shirou the long way.
He shook his head.
Well, it wasn't important.
He could use a different method, too.
Like breaking his younger self's naive ideals, first.
Yeah, that sounded nice, incredibly nice.
...But first, he had a mad hound that he had to chase off the family property.
And so, Archer repeated his motions and his conversations.
Chasing off Lancer in the same way, flustering Artoria in the same way (though this time, intentionally), and giving his Master the same excuses for why he should stay home tomorrow (to rest up for the war, and save as many lives as possible when the proper time came.)
Shirou, of course, nodded and agreed, like the fool that he was, and set off to sleep, completely unware of what would soon await him.
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EMIYA sighed again, in reluctant exhaustion.
This time, EMIYA decided,
He would absolutely CRUSH Emiya Shirou's ideals, without any mercy.
Not through a physical fight, but through a clash of minds and souls.
He could try to do so now, during the night.
But, that would only give Emiya Shirou excuses to ignore his words. For example, that he was to tired to argue back properly, or too overwhelmed by the day's events, or by all the sudden information at once, and such.
That's why, tonight wouldn't work.
Rather, even if Emiya Shirou did concede for this night, surely he'd come back in the morning and say he didn't mean it, with all those same excuses.
So, this was for the better.
Let Emiya Shirou rest up for the night, so that he'd be at full mental capacity tomorrow, with no excuses to use.
That was when Archer would crush him with a head on struggle, hearts and minds clashing at full-force, with their very own soul at stake.
The next morning, he would take Emiya Shirou out to their yard, and encase them both within his (their) Reality Marble.
The reason, two-fold.
Firstly, so that no other Master-Servant pairs would notice and interrupt (lest of all Rin and Saber).
And Secondly, of a much more important degree,
So that Emiya Shirou could come to intimately see and know truly just sort of rotten fruits he would yield by the hands his futile efforts.
That field that he had wrought for himself, that hill of nothing but bloodied iron swords, brought about by his own nameless and thankless endeavors and betrayals.
Yeah, Emiya Shirou would know. He would truly come to know,
Just what exactly it meant, to truly be "EMIYA Shirou".
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And so, EMIYA, too, rested, preparing himself for the next day.
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Chapter 4 - Self-Resolution
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Author's Notes:
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The Title has multiple means,
Self-resolve, obviously.
But also, his finale measure to resolve things (his resolution),
EMIYA resolving himself (hardening his resolve),
And EMIYA preparing to resolve things with himself (i.e. with Emiya Shirou).
All correct interpretations of the title, just from different perspectives.
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Somehow, my original copy of this chapter frustratingly got replaced even though it was already posted, when I was saving the original document with the rough draft of the next chapter (chapter 5).
I had to rewrite this, about 1000 words or so. Not too bad, but a little tedious. Document manager troubles, I guess.
But anyways, if you were one the few who actually saw the rough draft of chapter 5, pay no mind to it, because my finished products are always way better than the rough drafts.
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Anyways,
Next chapter is where it starts to get good!
So, look forward to it!