Author's Note: I've rehashed the description of Recursive Structural Grasping at the end of the last chapter. It's a little longer, but hopefully easier to understand. Also, this chapter is absolutely massive, possibly one of the largest I've ever written. You'll get to see what Merlin and the support team he's had working behind the scenes have been up to all this time. Sorry to those who have contacted me about having too many characters in play at once, but this has been planned for a while.
Chapter 21: Meeting the B-Team
May 30, 537
Campsite near Camlann Hill, Britannia
8:42 PM
Lancelot sat at camp with his forces while contemplating what he had heard from his scouts. The Battle of Camlann, where he had wanted to redeem himself and serve his King once more, was over. Lancelot had come to resist Mordred and support Arthur, but he had been turned away by an enraged Gawain. It was his own fault that he was denied his part in the battle. After what he had done to Gawain's siblings, Gawain's uncharacteristic fury was almost refreshing when contrasted with his King's unintentionally cruel form of forgiveness for his infidelity with the Queen. Now all he could do was wait to hear of the outcome.
"Sir Lancelot!" A familiar voice called out to Lancelot. Sir Palamedes was one of the few members of the Knights of the Round to support him, mainly because he was in the same situation. Gawain had it out for him for killing King Mark, an act meant to avenge the murder of Sir Tristan. "It is Sir Gawain! He is here to speak with you!"
Lancelot stood in surprise before quickly tempering his hopes. No, this was unlikely to be for the best. He strode in the direction indicated by the Knight and saw Gawain carrying both his own blade Excalibur Galatine and the stolen Clarent that Mordred had used. He was hopeful but noted the absence of the King and a number of Knights. Only Bedivere, Percival, and his cousin Bors were present from their inner circle, which did not bode well. Gawain's expression was still one of thinly veiled contempt, something no one thought a man like Gawain would ever carry.
"...You are victorious," Lancelot observed. However, his expression did not show relief just yet. "Where is our King? The rest of the Knights of the Round?"
Gawain's expression shifted from one of anger to restrained grief and self-hatred. Only Bedivere's next words prevented the inevitable misunderstanding. "Sir Kay fell in battle, his body taken by the enemy to places unknown. Most of the remaining Knights of the Round are dead and Sir Bors has thus inherited the eleventh seat. We are considering admitting Sir Pelleas as well. Our King is said by Sir Mordred to be alive, but I saw him off as he was taken by Lady Vivian and two other fairies to Avalon. We are told he will meet Merlin there and the world must then await his return...in fifteen centuries."
The Knight of the Sun—the one who had repelled Lancelot and Palamedes' efforts to join the fight to aid the King— scowled uncharacteristically. "That is assuming we even believe Mordred. But to simply discard Clarent and leave...why? How could the King have forgiven Mordred?"
Bedivere's words interrupted the coming rant. "It is not truly unexpected. Our King has done so in the face of betrayal before. Please recall your reason for coming here, my King." The words about the King's passing were hard to accept...but the truth of the matter hit when Bedivere called someone other than Arthur his king. Gawain was the clear successor. He was the closest living relative to the King who was still in good standing.
Gawain gave a deep breath, focusing himself. "I know, Sir Bedivere, it was an outburst of frustration. Our King was always too forgiving of his Knights." He said that second sentence coldly as he looked sternly at Lancelot. The two knights—the best Arthur had—were currently bitter enemies. That did not stop Gawain from seeking the answers to his questions. "Sir Mordred had some sort of...revelation upon being forgiven by our King. It seems that there is a secret he held that caused your and the Queen's infidelity in the first place. It was said that the revelation would not absolve you of your actions, but it would place them into much-needed context. Tell me, Sir Lancelot. What is this secret? Why did you and Queen Guinevere act in such a way?"
Lancelot's expression tensed. He didn't want to tell. If anything, he had hoped to take this to his grave...but if Mordred knew and was still loose in the world, it was important to be truthful. It could be bad if the truth were revealed from the wrong source. "The King and the Queen were...unable to live as husband and wife or to ever consummate their marriage. They were cordial, yes, but there was no romance or physical affection. It is only through Merlin's magical intervention that a child could even be attempted, and I have been vaguely told that the act was unsuccessful and traumatic to the King. They tried it but once, almost nine years ago, but something happened and they never tried again."
"...Are you suggesting that our King was neglectful of his wife?" Gawain asked in a dangerous tone. Bedivere's eyes widened at the consideration.
Lancelot hesitated more deeply before speaking. "...according to our Queen, the King was a woman all along."
Bors grabbed his adulterous cousin roughly by the shoulder armor and growled. "You dare to insult the memory of our King? Claiming him to be a woman? Kin of mine you may be, I might yet strike you down if you keep adding to your betrayals!"
"Just like Sir Mordred..." Gawain uttered, contradicting Bors' certainty. Everyone took immediate notice.
"What?" Percival inquired of Gawain, barely following this madness.
Gawain noted the confusion and chose to clarify. "I saw and spoke to Sir Mordred without his armor. He was in actuality a 'she'. I do not want to believe it...but could what we have thought to be boyish youth have been femininity all along?"
Bedivere's eyes were wide and his face contorted in grief. "I could...believe it. But why? Why would the King not trust us with the secret?"
Lancelot knocked Bors' hands off of his armor. "Is Sir Agravain's conduct not enough proof of why? His hatred of women alone was enough motive. The reason he leaked my affair with the Queen was not to serve the King, but to destabilize him and to fracture the Round Table. I was simply too close to the situation to see it at the time. It...might also be a reason I was forgiven for the affair. I was doing what the King felt she should have done to support the Queen, but couldn't. I will neither pretend that makes my actions correct nor act as if it absolves me of the lives I have taken in my madness, but it changes the considerations the King may have entertained. That is all on top of the other burdens our King endured to keep Britannia together. It is not like the nobility would have supported a queen in the same way as a king, even at the best of times."
Gawain regarded both Lancelot and Palamedes carefully for roughly six seconds. For once, Gawain's feelings could not be easily read. It had seemed like an eternity of silence before he spoke again. "Sir Palamedes. Sir Lancelot. I kept you off of the battlefields of Camlann when our King needed you the most, thus sealing his fate and failing him as his Knight. I will not make that mistake again when I need every surviving Knight I can muster to maintain the realm after Sir Mordred's rebellion. You are both restored to the Knights of the Round and any punishments are rescinded." His expression promptly darkened. "However, simply because I have need of you does not mean I truly forgive you. Sir Palamedes' sins are at least understandable as being done in the pursuit of justice for the murder of Sir Tristan, so I might be able to look past that in time. But you, Sir Lancelot, who slaughtered my brothers and sister? You are another matter entirely. Sir Gareth was not even armed when you crushed her skull, having been attending the Queen's execution in a state of protest! Now the only close kin I have left in this Earthly realm are an opportunistic father, a maddened witch, and a regicide!" Lancelot winced at Gawain's clear anger, especially at the mention of Gareth. That girl had looked up to Lancelot heavily.
The Knight of the Sun, now King-Regent, glared at Lancelot. "I am told you wished for a chance to atone. Well, I will give it to you. I will work you to the bone for as long as your body remains in its fighting years. Should you live until Britannia is stable and secure, I will send you and Guinevere to a remote land for you both to manage, where I need not see your faces or consider your existence beyond my standard duties and the maintenance of your loyalties. I will not condemn your line or the children you two produce. I will not slander you aloud. But you will have to for work the rest of your life for any chance of my forgiveness. Do you understand your new role?"
Lancelot tensed at this condemnation. Still, all he could think was that it was well-deserved. He had murdered Gawain's family. Agravain, Gaheris, Gareth...all slaughtered by his own hand. He had personally fractured the Round Table and allowed the division that Mordred used to strike at the King. It was his duty to repair what was broken, even as endured this resentment for his actions. The Knight knelt before his new King.
"...this Knight of the Lake, Lancelot du Lac, hears and obeys."
May 31, 537
Unknown Location
2:13 AM
Gawain, King of Britannia and Crown Prince of Orkney and Western Norway, opened his eyes expecting to see the camp he had fallen asleep in. To his surprise, he instead found himself in a field surrounded by flowers. It was beautiful, more so than any land he'd ever seen before.
"That look of awe on your face suits you infinitely better than rage, Gawain," a familiar male voice said from behind him. Turning towards it, Gawain saw exactly who he had expected.
"Merlin, why did you abandon our King in his hour of need?" Gawain inquired, restraining his anger.
"I left her side because the prophecy was set in stone...or at least it should have been. Letting myself be trapped here was meant to be my penance. And yes, every word that Mordred and Lancelot have told you is true. Gaia and Alaya's manipulations, the true source of your mother's madness, Artoria's gender, Mordred's conception, Lancelot's affair, all of it. Honestly, I am surprised that you're even alive to talk to me." Merlin stated.
"Artoria...so that's the King's true name..." Gawain uttered before focusing on something important Mordred had said before and that Merlin had just confirmed. "...I was meant to die."
Merlin gave a soft nod. "That was what Fate had in store for you, yes. Artoria, Mordred, and you were all meant to perish at Camlann. Lancelot would have died years from now in obscurity, rejected by a guilty and grieving Guinevere. Camelot would have collapsed and Britannia would gradually fall to infighting and progressively more foreign encroachment until the very meaning of who a 'Briton' was changed. But thanks to Artoria and Mordred reaching for something and rediscovering their humanity in the process, and a certain ally unknown to you who returned the scabbard and rekindled your King's spirit at the cost of his own life, they circumvented all but two of these things. Two things that you have the power to change." Merlin let out a chuckle. "I had once told Artoria that a King could not be Human...but it seems that I was wrong. It takes humanity to defy the World like this and get away with it. No one else could be so bold. It makes me wonder just what I could have done if I had dared...would a half-working heart be enough to do the same?"
Gawain listened to the words of a man who he had thought incapable of self-reflection. After a few moments of silence, the newly named King-Regent spoke once more. "What must I do, Merlin?"
Merlin gave a wider smile. "Camelot must be lost, but that does not mean that you cannot build something even greater and resist the invasions. You, King-Regent of Britannia and Crown Prince of Orkney and Norway, must finish what Artoria started. Take the name Pendragon to connect yourself to Uther and Artoria's rule. Welcome those Anglo-Saxons who would embrace your rule in exchange for a new life as Britons but do not surrender territory, sovereignty, or identity. I would also recommend placing the new seat of government at Londinium. One of the most powerful magical sites in the world can be found there, upon which Magi are already establishing a research organization that will last until the day of our King's return. Two True Magicians can also be found there, one of whom will be an instrumental ally and the other of whom will have a successor who stands by our King more closely than any other. The first, Zelretch, is already expecting you. He has lived since the days of Solomon as one of his students and will continue to live until the return of our King. His aid will be instrumental to setting up events for her return in fifteen centuries' time."
"And who is the ally we never knew?" Gawain asked, surprised that his King had so many secrets.
Merlin gave an oddly human smile. "The one who, in his selfless attempts to save her, unlocked her human heart. A man she grieves deeply for whose soul remains stored in the scabbard...and who will be resurrected as her consort in preparation for her return in the far future. He may be from overseas, but he is worthy of Caliburn nonetheless."
Gawain was surprised, but couldn't criticize. It wasn't infidelity because Guinevere would be long dead by that time. The marriage of his King and Queen had already all but ended well before now anyway. Also, the mystery man may have been from some foreign shore...but if he was someone who had saved Artoria at the cost of his own life and helped to wipe away this ignoble future in the process—if he was worthy of Caliburn itself—then Gawain would have to trust in the choices of his King. His failure to do so helped lead to this mess, after all.
Merlin spoke again, as if aware of Gawain's inner thoughts. "I would also recommend that you forgive as best you can, especially Mordred. It is as much for the sake of your own soul as for your steady rule. Do not hate over what cannot be changed. We were all puppets until yesterday."
Gawain's angered face returned, looking disturbing on a man so well known for his friendly nature, before he fought it down. "I...want to obey the will of my King...but how can I do so knowing what Mordred has done?"
The visage of Merlin became slightly stern. "By knowing that your sister is a girl who had her eighth birthday a month ago. A child whose mind and body have been warped by your maddened mother's Magecraft quite literally from conception. And yet, in spite of being egged on to betray the King for her entire life, it was only when Mordred honestly approached her father and was denied any consideration that she rebelled. The tragedy was that Mordred simply wasn't mature enough to realize that there was a difference between the crown that Morgan was pestering her to claim and the connection to her father that she truly wanted. Had I not advised Artoria to cast aside her humanity for logic, if Artoria had the means to accept her child and explain her thoughts carefully, Mordred would ultimately have been fine with not being King so long as she simply had her father."
Those words from Merlin made the color drain from Gawain's face. Mordred was but a child? True, she had looked not a day over sixteen, but...to be only half that? Gawain felt sick, even within the bounds of the dream. Given how long Mordred had been a Knight before turning eight, that meant she had to have been taking lives before most children of the same age could reliably speak. And she had never been given the choice to do otherwise. Mordred's words and actions suddenly made a disturbing amount of sense. Her rudeness and brashness, her impatience...some of it was indeed 'Mordred', but immaturity was a perfect definition for what he'd seen. This whole Rebellion had been the tantrum of a rejected child!
Gawain's rushing thoughts were contrasted by his horrified tone. "...she lacked agency. Even if she thought she was making her own decisions, it was a deception by Mother. Mordred...had no business fighting our battles. Someone so in need of our protection should not have been forced to carry a sword."
"She is not unintelligent, Gawain, but her accelerated aging does not equate to maturity or a full capacity for making rational decisions. Beings created like her still have young souls. I won't say you should forgive her publicly or welcome her back into the fold, not without care for the consequences, but don't carry hatred in your heart for your last living sibling. I could tell you to blame your mother for instigating every step of Camelot's fall instead, but even that is ill-deserved simply because of Morgan's insanity. Whenever she had some limited clarity of mind, she did her best to support you...as Vivian, Lady of the Lake." Merlin dropped another bombshell on Gawain's unprepared mind.
"What? Lady Vivian and mother are—" Gawain uttered.
"Your mother was both the ruler of Magical Britannia and a ruler of humans. The contradictions that Alaya and Gaia forced on her tore her mind and soul into pieces from the strain. Morgan Pendragon the sister and mother, Lady Vivian the ally and confidant, and Morgan le Fay the killer and usurper. When Vivian gave you, Artoria, and Lancelot your swords; it was a plea to stop her from becoming a monster. Only now that the fighting is over will she have a chance to heal."
Gawain couldn't help but feel that this was true as well. So much fell into context. His mother's mood swings and her contradictory actions were better understood now. But to learn that it was a conflict between Mystery and Humanity that caused everything? All this betrayal and pain? "...then what can I do, Merlin? All this rage and grief and I cannot even lay the blame upon anyone?"
Merlin smiled. "It is much like trying to make sense of the pain caused by a natural disaster. But there is something you can do other than simmer in rage. Take the remnants of Camelot, go to Londinium, and forge a nation that will not fall. Let it be known that when your King returns in fifteen centuries, your Britannia will still be there to welcome her and restore her to her rightful place. Let that be the target of your attentions. Your expression of bold defiance against Fate."
Gawain contemplated these words for a while. To parse this rage and anger into determination...yes. He knew it would not be perfect. He might not be able to let go of his anger for a long time. But it was a path. He blinked and was about to thank Merlin for his counsel...but the opening of his eyes revealed him to be awake and alone in his tent once more.
September 3, 574
Spiritual Tomb of Albion
Londinium, Britannia
2:47 PM
An old man named Lancelot du Lac contemplated his life as he descended further into the abyss under the Mage's Association. It was difficult going these past 37 years. Until recently, Lancelot was rarely able to return to Britannia. The sword on his hip opposite Arondight, Clarent, was a symbol of his fate. King-Regent Gawain Pendragon was clear as to the meaning of the blade when reassigning Lancelot once Mordred's rebellion and its consequences were finally sorted out.
"Sir Lancelot. With the cessation of hostilities on this island, I am sending you to Gallia to administrate our holdings in the land of your birth and guard against the expansion of the Franks into our lands. I hereby merge your father's Kingdom of Benoic into my territories in Britanny, name you the Duke of Brittany, and grant you Clarent as a symbol of authority over that land. The blade will serve as a reminder of your service, both the good and the ill. Carry it in awareness of both as you govern for the sake of the people in your care."
Clarent was a blade that symbolized not only the Roman ruler of the lands of Gallia(France) as it always had, but it now also symbolized Mordred's betrayal of the Once and Future King. It was the blade of Gallia's ruler and also the blade of the traitor. Lancelot's 'promotion' was a working exile from Britannia, noted by his being made something called a 'Duke' instead of a normal petty King under Gawain. In fact, most of the other petty Kings had been similarly downgraded in status. Lancelot also suspected that Gawain's allowing him to marry Guinevere after the death of his wife Elaine was largely so she would also be driven from the country. Gawain was not cruel, nor was he unfair to the children of the two who served in Britannia, but it was clear that Lancelot and Guinevere were to live as far from Gawain's sight as possible while still being of use.
Sir Palamedes had it even worse than he and Guinevere did, being made the Duke of the newly discovered Iceland to the north. Rather than governing a large population, Sir Palamedes' role in Iceland was to protect the existence of Mystery as it had yet to decline as notably there. Humanity had no previous long-term presence and the Mage's Association had been eager to ensure a 'Phantasmal Beast Preserve' of sorts when Merlin directed Gawain to discover the island. Only those of the appropriate faith and knowledge of Mystery were permitted admittance, with the newly claimed Faroe Islands acting as both a waypoint and as a base from which to protect it. Lancelot knew nothing more of the matter. He was more versed in killing phantasmals than preserving their populations. Sir Palamedes would likely share this preference, considering that he was killed by a wyvern three years ago while conducting his duties.
Lancelot had never again seen Mordred, though there were rumors of a rogue Knight having helped to push back the Saxons in various campaigns. King Gawain openly attributed those victories to her as part of a 'quest of penance', partly to ensure that Mordred's surviving former allies and supporters realized that there would be no second rebellion. This was also in consideration of her age and her being acknowledged as 'having come to her senses from Morgan le Fay's manipulation and being spared by King Arthur at the last moment', though some had doubts as to the truth of these words. Mordred was thus known by some as the Knight of Treachery and by others as the Knight of Penance depending on their view of history. Gawain was quicker to forgive Mordred than anyone else, though politics and her own disappearance prevented the walls of Londinium from ever welcoming her in Gawain's lifetime.
It took a number of years for Lancelot and Guinevere's exile to be ended, but Gawain's good nature eventually led to forgiveness in spite of his heated words. It was politics and instability in Gallia more than Gawain's desire that extended the duration. Even so, their relationship with Gawain could never be as it was before. He was the King-Regent, and they were the vassals responsible for the care of a distant shore. Only on the three nights preceding Gawain's death five years prior did Lancelot and Gawain speak as they once had as fellow Knights of the Round. Gawain died at ease in his warm bed, surrounded by his many descendants and friends. The one thing that was out of place was the black-clad knight with a dragon-themed helmet and a dark, feathered cape who had maintained a silent vigil outside Gawain's chambers the entire time.
Lancelot looked over to that very being, who currently served as his only escort. The black-clad knight was known simply as the Corpse King. Few in court knew from where it came, but the King-Regent privately said that it was salvaged from his mother's assets. He, as her son, had used the unknown entity liberally to ensure the unity and preservation of the kingdom. It spoke sparingly if at all, it never rejected orders, it slept in tombs and graveyards, it was rumored not even to be human...but it served Britannia. It was also, quite notably, present at the passing of every single member of the old Knights of the Round in the post-Camlann era. Whenever one of Artoria's former knights fell, it was there to bear witness no matter the location or reason. Gawain was no exception. Some had taken to calling it a fairy or a banshee due to its uncanny ability to predict such ends, or perhaps thinking of it as a member of the Wild Hunt.
This same harbinger of death was the one that now loomed near Lancelot, following him through the phantasmal beast-filled abyss and untiringly supporting him in combat. Lancelot was here because Merlin had appeared in one of his dreams and instructed him to carry out one last mission as a knight in his old age...a task which Lancelot was increasingly convinced he would not survive.
After weeks of travel without sight of the sun, he had found it. The skull of the dragon Albion. Its eyes glowed with power as it even now attempted futilely to dig through the earth to the entrance of the fairy lands below. Lancelot stared into the abyss and felt the grip of death strongly. What he was about to do was incredibly dangerous with no discernible justification or reward...but it was for the sake of his Once and Future King. Merlin telling him so was enough. Lancelot turned to his one companion and spoke. "It is strange. I thought that when I felt my end draw near, I would feel fear or resentment. Not of death, but of being judged...yet I have already received both punishment and forgiveness. I know I have done all I can do to atone, and that what will be...will be."
He removed Clarent and its scabbard from his hip and approached the Corpse King. "If I am about to perish as I suspect, I would request that you take this blade and pass it on to my eldest living child. It is both the mark of my house's authority and the symbol of my greatest shame. A reminder to my line never to discard virtue lest we lose something irreplaceable." He offered the blade to the mysterious and inhuman being before him, who slowly accepted the blade and gave an almost imperceptible nod.
That task complete, Lancelot drew Arondight and moved his aged body in a manner that even most young men could not. He bounded off of a rock wall and onto the neck of the ancient creature. When Arondight was plunged into the vertebrae connecting to the base of the monster's skull, the sword's Anti-Dragon properties drew a screech from the all-but-dead dragon as the bone began to part. The head shuddered and moved while its jaws opened and snapped shut lethargically, but Lancelot kept doing his best to decapitate the beast.
Alas, it was not to be. A cliff face surrounding and restraining the neck of the creature unexpectedly gave way and allowed the head a limited degree of motion to thrash. Lancelot took a blow to the head and body that even his armor could not fully shield him from. Arondight remained lodged within the neck of the dragon while an injured and unconscious Lancelot fell into the abyss below, seemingly failing in his final duty. That which Lancelot was assigned to do would have to fall to another.
Three weeks later, on the shores of Brittany, the Corpse King would wordlessly return Clarent to Lancelot's heir and witness Gaheris du Lac being named the next Duke. No one but that silent witness knew that Lancelot had finally made peace with himself or what his final mission was meant to accomplish.
Time kept marching forwards.
Ahnenerbe Restaurant
Fuyuki City
9:31 PM
Irisviel waited for Saber Artoria and Archer EMIYA with light concern as she sat in a special VIP area with the members of her family. The adjacent booths for the Emiya and Tohsaka families seemed to be a more recent addition to the coffee shop-like restaurant, but the families could stay together at least. Everyone else was seated at more normal chairs and tables. Her apparent mother-in-law was in a far more casual outfit, seated across from her with Kiritsugu, Maiya, and Illya. The non-human 'subordinate' was seated between Irisviel and Gray while holding a sleeping Shirou in her lap and drinking a vanilla milkshake. The girl was positively adorable once out of uniform, wearing a periwinkle and white gothic lolita dress that heavily contrasted the Gatling gun that was currently stowed under their table. She spoke little, but she had carried Shirou ever since they exited the vehicle to enter the establishment. She was also never further than arm's reach of Gray. Lancer Artoria, Sella, and Leysritt were seated at the nearest table and remained in earshot.
"I don't mind, I'm thankful if anything, but...why are you so defensive of the children?" Irisviel asked the oddly possessive newcomer.
The girl stopped drinking her milkshake and regarded Irisviel's question with a stoic expression before answering. "They are my kin. Hatchlings need to be protected." The statement surprised most of the people at the table, and its implications were not lost on the group. Gray and Shirou had Magic Cores, the hearts of dragons. Did that imply that this young lady was similar? The subordinate, however, volunteered nothing more. This might have been for the best when considering that Tokiomi was certainly listening closely from the next booth over.
Natalia gave a somewhat exasperated sigh. "Sorry, Mel here is...an odd case. I've been working with her since '82, so I can vouch for her." Kiritsugu gave a small flinch at the mention of 1982, which was understandable to Irisviel given that was the year Natalia was supposed to have been killed. She had been trapped on a trans-Atlantic airliner full of a Dead Apostle's vampiric insects after killing their master. Kiritsugu, to prevent a plague of ghouls from flooding New York City, had downed the aircraft with a rocket launcher while it was still over the ocean. Irisviel knew that he had always lamented having her blood on his hands.
To think that she was alive all this time! At least something in her family was going right. Oh, she was glad that everyone was still alive; but Illya and Gray were grieving, Lancer was slowly fading away, and Shirou just wouldn't wake up. He also received an extra Command Seal at the same moment as Waver and Kiritsugu, which was a surprise. Irisviel supposed that it was understandable given that Saber and Archer were a key part of Caster's defeat. The sleeping boy then got a fifth Command Seal briefly, only for it to soon disappear without explanation. What was the Overseer doing? Had he accidentally given Shirou one too many and corrected himself, or had Shirou used it while dreaming or something?
She glanced out the window to avoid the awkward silence, seeing the early afternoon sun of London. It was jarring to see such a thing, knowing that this view was being brought into the windows in real-time from an Ahnenerbe half a world away. Or was she the one who was misplaced? Both? Neither? True Magic was strange like that. She was called away from these thoughts when a light gray-haired pretty boy in sunglasses and a Chinese woman in long twintails wearing normal glasses entered the restaurant from the sunlit 'British side', announced by the chime of a bell connected to the door. Many pairs of eyes snapped towards the pair, instinctively recognizing the man as a Servant. Ignoring everyone's stares, they strolled casually to a table for two and the woman started to pointedly read a book rather than engage in conversation or any social behavior. A stunted cat-person of all things approached and took their orders for two teas and two cherry pies, shaking its head animatedly with an "Un-un-un!" instead of employing actual speech before rushing off to comply.
After seeing that this apparent Master/Servant pair was intent on minding their own business, Irisviel's eyes continued to wander to the other patrons that were welcomed into this hidden side of the Second Magician's restaurant. There were Doctor Albion and Sir Dan Blackmore. There sat a man in a top hat and a parody of a nobleman's clothing who was talking jovially with Iskandar in Greek and teaching him the charms of coffee and bourbon. Taiga had joined them in their conversation and was dragging Waver unwillingly into the discussion as well. A woman with knowing eyes in a white kimono watched everyone from the side of the room with her tea and strawberry pie. A white, squirrel-like animal that was currently rearing up to jump onto a sleeping Shirou's lap—wait, what?
"Fou!" The creature jumped into position and Shirou finally woke in surprise. His eyes darted around before he found himself in mostly familiar company, then he looked down to see the face of something in the memories of Artoria and her weapons' histories. "...Cath Palug?" He sleepily asked, making Irisviel's blood run cold. Tokiomi's head snapped around to look behind himself at the Emiya group on hearing the name, and for good reason. This was Merlin's familiar? Shirou also looked back over his shoulder, finding himself being held by a white-haired woman he'd never met before today. That was quickly becoming a regular occurrence.
"Fou fou!" The creature started to nuzzle the bearer of Avalon to draw his attention back toward it. Shirou looked at the creature for a moment before giving a small smile and obliging the creature by petting it without concern. Irisviel, in contrast, was wondering how Zelretch could even allow such a powerful creature into the building. She looked over to Lancer, who was both surprised and tense as she watched the source of danger that had manhandled her Knights back in the day getting treated like a pet. A 'killer rabbit' indeed. Natalia just sighed, seemingly used to such conduct from the creature.
"Where are we...and who are the new people?" Shirou asked, drawing Irisviel's attention back toward him.
She chose to answer in a pleasant and upbeat tone to contrast what had happened just before Shirou lost consciousness. Hopefully, he didn't notice what happened with Sola-Ui before he passed out. "We're at a restaurant run by Mr. Tohsaka's teacher! Your grandmother, Kiritsugu's mother, wanted us to meet her friends here. We're waiting for Saber and Archer to get back. They dropped Kirei Kotomine off at the church."
"Kiritsugu's mother is alive?" Shirou was a bit surprised, starting to wake up more fully. Something in him felt like that shouldn't be the case...the same part of him that felt like so much was familiar lately.
"Right here," said the woman nursing a protein shake-laced coffee. She seemed grateful for the chance to end the silence that had been plaguing the table. "The name's Natalia Kaminski and the girl holding you like a stuffed animal is Mélusine Albion. You've been adopted by her and Fou, so you'd better get used to it...ah, Fou's what we call Cath Palug so we don't scare every Magus we run into."
Before a response could be given, the bell at the door rang again and drew Irisviel's eye. Saber Artoria entered the establishment alongside Archer EMIYA and wore an expression of surprise on seeing Fou and Mélusine. "Fou? Lady Mélusine? When did you both arrive in Fuyuki?" Artoria asked.
Mélusine looked at Artoria, staring at her for several moments. Was that a small pout on her lips? "Artoria...just fourteen years and you've forgotten what to call me?"
Artoria hesitated for a moment before resolving herself and fighting through her awkwardness. "My apologies. It is nice to see you...Mother."
The only sound in the establishment for a time thereafter was that of Waver Velvet dropping his fork in surprise. The Chinese bookworm stopped reading and looked on with vague interest. Doctor Albion nervously chuckled. "Yeah, that one's my bad. Well...okay, it's Merlin's bad, but blaming him just feels like an excuse at this point. Everyone, meet the Fairy Knight Mélusine Albion...also known as the Dragon of Albion, formerly the skull and left hand of a multi-kilometer-long skeleton trapped under the Clock Tower."
Everyone's eyes, with the exception of those belonging to the bookworm and the Servant, turned back toward Mélusine who was looking at Artoria fondly. "Good girl. Come sit with your mother and the hatchlings."
Ignoring confused expressions from almost everyone, even Lancer Artoria, Saber Artoria claimed a chair from an empty two-person table nearby and carried it to the end of the booth. She had a seat with the group and seemed visually relieved that the children were alright, even if embarrassed by Mélusine's conduct. Meanwhile, Archer EMIYA placed himself at the two-person table's one remaining seat.
"I did not know you were here, Mother. I would have liked to introduce you to Mordred," Saber Artoria said with a tinge of regret.
Natalia chose to interject at this point. "That wasn't possible. Mordred went back in time with a variant of Avalon like you did and caused a time loop by providing a record of her memories. She even remembered that Gray was King Gawain's descendant, saved his life with the dregs of her Avalon's energy, and told him to go become King-Regent of Britannia as history holds. When she ultimately conveyed what she had gone through in this future, she never mentioned us. We had to stay out of sight until she left or this second Worldline of yours would have sprouted a third." Artoria had the decency to look slightly sheepish. It clearly relieved her heart to hear that Mordred had survived Camlann, though.
Kiritsugu had finally had enough and spoke up. "Speaking of 'staying out of sight', where were you, Natalia? How did you get involved in all of this?"
Natalia leaned forward in her seat, preparing to tell a long tale. "Hmm...I guess the best place to start would have to be in the fall of '79..."
October 23, 1979
Nondescript Warehouse
Kamień Pomorski, Polish People's Republic
3:47 AM
In the darkness of the early morning, Natalia Kaminski pulled up to the warehouse she rented and parked her modified gray 1963 Syrena 102. Once she left the car, dropping her cigarette on the ground and crushing it under her boot to put it out, she took careful note of the place's condition. It was neither run-down enough to attract the eye of inspectors nor fancy enough to attract the eye of anyone else. Anonymity through absolute mediocrity. It was better not to rely on Bounded Fields for everything, no matter how skilled Kiritsugu had become at them.
Kiritsugu...that was the crux of the matter. He was turning fourteen soon and she was having trouble deciding on what to get him. He was practical, which was usually a good thing, but it was a pain when it came time to give gifts that actually meant something. The excitement of the moped she had considered buying for him would surely pale in comparison to the motorcycles and cars he'd soon drive on the job under various false IDs, fourteen was still too young to legally give him anything better, and giving him more guns or job-related equipment felt like taking the easy route.
He had mentioned that a computer could be used to manage records easily, so maybe she should get him one of those new home computers. They weren't as common in these Warsaw Pact countries, but she could smuggle an Apple II or something over from America or Western Europe. On reflection though, that sounded like just another tool for work as well. Maybe that Atari game thing that connected to the TV set? No, he'd never use something like that.
Natalia unlocked the door, entered, and noiselessly closed it behind her before hanging up her coat. The white-haired woman took note of Kiritsugu. He had fallen asleep on the couch with a mostly-eaten take-out meal on the table in front of him. It was highly likely that he had left a portion for her in the fridge. The boy had long proven to be a fine assistant, outside of cooking anything that is, and showed profound potential with a sidearm. He might go even further than her in the mercenary business, though Natalia wasn't sure if that was a good thing with his mindset. The tired woman rubbed her eyes and chased away the guilt of bringing him into this line of work that had assailed her repeatedly over the years.
She sat at her desk to do some paperwork and take her mind off such things but instead found herself nodding off to sleep.
Location Unknown
Opening her eyes, Natalia blinked as she became aware of her surroundings. It was a land of flowers and greenery as far as the eye could see, one with clean air and a feeling of hope. Magical energy permeated the air and the woman quickly attempted to flush power through her Magic Circuits to dispel any hypnosis.
"My, my. You certainly respond to such beauty with hostility. Though I suppose that is what has kept you alive." A voice called out, coming from an attractive man with white hair and purple eyes. He regarded her with a knowing and somewhat smug smile.
"Beauty can be a way to seduce and disarm a target. What are your intentions, Magus?" Natalia prodded, wanting to use the typical Magus pride and predisposition towards monologue to buy herself some time to analyze her situation and develop a countermeasure.
"A rather pragmatic perspective on your succubus ancestry. It is truly a shame that you don't take more pleasure in who you are, Natalia. A woman like you could easily provide Kiritsugu with a gift he would always treasure the memory of." The man stepped to the side of a blade that glinted in the sun, briefly occupying where he once stood. Natalia's expression of displeasure at Merlin's suggestion may not have accomplished anything in what she was realizing was a dreamscape, but that sort of insult offended her...along with the implication of mind reading. Further effort to assail the enemy Magus was hindered by a vine that erupted from the ground and latched itself around Natalia's ankle. The woman forced herself to calm down. This was going nowhere.
"So you did your research before coming after me. Are you some jealous rival that I beat to the mark? Some relative or associate of an old target? Or just someone looking for bragging rights for taking me out?" Natalia had to keep the man talking as she processed her situation, but her odds of survival dropped sharply if this man could read her mind. Thinking back on what she knew of dreamscapes, she pondered her options just the same.
"None of the above. I am not hostile to you. As for who I am, I go by many names. The Court Magus of Camelot, The Magus of Flowers, Emrys...but my true name is Merlin. You, however, may refer to me as 'Grandfather'."
Natalia's eyes narrowed. If this was some sort of joke, it was a bad one. "Oh? Let me guess. My grandmother is Morgana or something?"
"Her name is Morgan, and no. Your pedigree holds no Pendragon lineage. You'll have to settle for just being one of mine." The man released Natalia's ankle from the vine and instead formed a chair of vines and flowers in which she could sit. He did the same for himself before sitting down, showing no offensive actions as he lowered himself. Natalia did not attack when released, but she also did not sit in the vine chair that could easily entrap her. Merlin gave a sigh. "Your mind is so tense and serious! Most of my descendants would at least want to confirm a few things about history or learn a trick or two...very well. On to business then. What do you know of the Fuyuki Holy Grail War?"
Whatever Natalia was expecting, it wasn't that question. She had heard of the ritual in Japan but had no idea why it was relevant. "It is among the few things Japan is considered to have going for it by the Magus Association. Roughly every sixty years, seven Mages gather together to kill each other over the promise of a wish. For some reason, they summon beings from the past to help them do it. No one's ever won, and the only thing they've ever had to show for trying is a body count. We don't even know if the wish is real. I'd think anyone with sense would stay far away from it."
Merlin gave a laugh of amusement at her blunt assessment. "Valid points all. We Mages tend to throw caution to the wind a bit too often, especially modern ones who are too full of pride in their own histories to step outside of tradition. To the issue, then. The problem is that one of the founding families of the War, the Einzberns, is going to attempt to summon King Arthur in 1994 to fight for their ambitions in the next Holy Grail War. I do not want that to happen. I also know that these events eventually lead to Kiritsugu Emiya's death in the year 2000. You do not want that to happen."
Merlin's response secured Natalia's attention immediately. "How? Will your King do something to Kiritsugu?" She asked, still trying to decide if this was all a lie.
"No. I can honestly tell you that my King did nothing to harm your ward. His death is an indirect consequence. Sadly, telling you more would be problematic. The issue with knowing of and altering the future, Granddaughter, is that any changes beyond those that are strictly necessary will add infinitely more complexity to the operation. You might even raise Kiritsugu differently if I tell you anything more than that the missions I would ask of you will disrupt the events that lead to his death. A different upbringing would be disruptive in its own way. You simply need to raise him as you otherwise ought. The details are on, as you say in the industry, a 'need to know basis'." Merlin's words did nothing to help ease the woman's concerns. There was also the simple fact that if she refused, she might never wake up. If she agreed only to go back on her word or try to betray this man after waking, she and perhaps Kiritsugu only had until they next fell asleep before he could retaliate...and she had no way of surviving such an action.
"...Is there anything you can tell me to prove all of this, then?" Natalia asked in irritation and skepticism, narrowing her eyes. Fortunately, Merlin knew exactly what to reveal to the woman to secure her aid...
November 23, 1994
Ahnenerbe Restaurant
Fuyuki City
9:38 PM
"He blackmailed you. He used me to blackmail you." Kiritsugu was clearly angry, his mind rife with possible outcomes. None of them were good.
Irisviel had to interject. "Manipulating you like that is certainly a bad thing...but he called you his granddaughter. I seem to remember a 'descendant of Merlin' popping up on an Einzbern dig site in Britannia only to vanish right away. Was that you?"
Natalia gave a nod on both counts. "I honestly believe it was the best outcome, Kiritsugu. You might have had your memory of Illyasviel restored in a world where you never fathered her. History might have been too different if I stepped out of line, and cost you something precious. I couldn't do that...and yes, I did mess around at an Einzbern family dig site after some preparation. That was one of the many jobs he had me do. Things really picked up a few months later when he sent me to Britannia..."
February 18, 1980
Heritage Pawn Shop
Newport, Gwent, Britannia
10:42 AM
As she walked into a pawn shop and began to browse so as not to appear suspicious, Natalia reflected on her situation and how she had gotten to this point. Merlin had shown her Kiritsugu's last moments with his adopted son, during which he'd passed down the 'curse' that was his dream to be a Hero of Justice. That had been enough for her to finally accept the truth of Merlin's words and accept his job offer. Natalia had then gotten that Apple II after all, but not for Kiritsugu's birthday. Rather, it was to keep track of Merlin's instructions in a way that Mages wouldn't even be able to recognize as relevant. The clairvoyant Mage's instructions thus far usually involved what stocks to buy and sell. Merlin had proven himself further when he told her to sell her existing stockpile of gold last month, just before the price of gold started to nosedive. Merlin then revealed to her that he had used her dreams to subconsciously guide her to hoard all of that gold throughout her life and to forget it existed until the proper time. The descriptor 'effective, but infuriating' was something she mentally attached to Merlin from that point forward.
Now having almost ten times more money than she otherwise would have had, as much of it as possible was put to work in a stock portfolio of Merlin's design. The woman didn't understand some of the decisions, though. The orders to buy stock in some tech companies made sense, even the ones in Japan, but why had she been told to put so much money into a Japanese card and toy manufacturer? She couldn't even remember the name. Nine-Ten-Dough? Something like that? When she'd asked, Merlin simply told her that 'the 1980s will be a decade of opportunity'.
Speaking of opportunities, she was here to take advantage of one crafted by Merlin. Sending a subtle dream to a Magus in the area had soured the recipient's mood and resulted in an argument with his second-born Magecraft-ignorant child that otherwise would not have happened with as much fury. This angered the teen, who was already being kicked out of the family home and sent to live with her uncle for reasons she didn't understand, so she responded to a subtle suggestion implanted by Merlin in her own dreams to steal some of her father's 'crappy old knick-knacks' and take them with her. She now walked into the pawn shop to try and sell a cardboard box full of the items.
The short-haired teen approached the counter while rebelliously dressed in a tattered jacket, an offensive T-shirt consistent with the punk rock scene, and large motorcycle boots. "Hey, Pops. I'm here to sell some stuff."
The aged man behind the counter raised a judgmental eyebrow at her attire but remained professional. "Oh? Let me take a look, young lady..." Within the box were various old tomes, some light-refracting liquids in corked test tubes, some hand-written notes, some prisms, and a lone ring. A ring with a rather large diamond.
"...What is the story behind these items? Including this diamond ring?" The man asked with suspicion. For a girl dressed in such a way to come in with a rock like this was odd, to say the least.
"They all used to belong to my old man and his side of the family. I just moved out and he gave me this stuff, but I can't understand the books and need the money more. The ring's supposed to be ancient." The girl said, having not expected to need to tell the story behind the items. The old man's suspicion grew. No details, a kid bringing in stuff to sell that she was 'given' before leaving town...he'd had too much of that lately.
"So that means the diamond has no paperwork?" He sought to verify, causing the girl to look surprised. She shook her head to the negative.
"I'm afraid I can't buy it, then. Or any of this, really. I run the risk of it being stolen goods, in which case the police seize it and leave me taking the loss. I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to leave." Natalia stepped outside at this point, not needing to listen any further, while the girl tried to stammer and make excuses. It would have been suspicious if Natalia had left at the exact same time as the girl. Less than a minute later, the girl walked out with a look of frustration on her face. Who knew selling a diamond ring and some old books could be so hard?
"To think some people say there's no such thing as a used diamond," Natalia said to the girl. The target of Natalia's words whirled around to face her with a glare. The angered brat threw profanities at Natalia and gave her the middle finger before turning away again to leave.
"I was about to say 'that's why I prefer to buy my diamonds used to begin with'. I don't stand to lose as much and no one can tell the difference anyway." Natalia calmly said to her. The girl froze in her tracks and looked toward Natalia approvingly.
"You're in the market for one, then?" The girl sought to confirm.
"If it's decent. Mind if we keep walking while I take a closer look at your stuff? That guy looked ready to call the police on you and still might." Natalia's words were met with a nod and a smile, the punk girl's mood doing a one-eighty as she walked with Natalia down the street. After some bargaining, the girl left with a wad of cash and Natalia went into an alley to transfer the contents of that moldering cardboard box into a duffel bag she had brought along. Then she went back to the inn she was staying at to go through some random Magus' research materials.
After a few hours of going through her newly acquired items, she had confirmed her suspicions. The books, notes, prisms, and liquids all had one thing in common. They all involved the manipulation of light and were the result of research into the ring's abilities. Verifying that no new spells had been added to the ring to booby trap it, Natalia put it on and willed it to do its work while she held a mirror in front of herself. After the light bent and warped into a new appearance, she saw the image of a young blonde with two tufts of darker hair that looked almost like a dog's ears. A Knight that had not been among the living for over fourteen centuries. Confirming once more that Merlin's words to her were true, Natalia smiled. The image of the Seventh Seat of the Round Table, Sir Gareth, did the same.
"Sir Gareth's Ring of Metamorphosis, huh? Never thought I'd be the owner of a Noble Phantasm..." Natalia mused as she contemplated the oddity of her life. It was ideal for her line of work and might make some jobs almost too easy...but then again, Natalia would need it for what she was about to do.
November 23, 1994
Ahnenerbe Restaurant
Fuyuki City
9:43 PM
Nearly everyone's eyes flickered to Natalia's finger which appeared not to have a ring on it, only for a shimmering of light to manifest...revealing that the ring had been bending light around itself to remain hidden from view. Both Artorias' eyes widened, but it was Saber Artoria who spoke. "It truly is her ring...Gareth concealed it in much the same manner or kept it under her gauntlets. After her passing, Merlin used the ring as a reference while creating Invisible Air for Excalibur, though with wind instead of merely light."
Natalia nodded in confirmation. "Merlin said as much. I needed it for what I was going to do next and kept it for the utility. If things went too badly, I was to use it to summon Gareth and provide you with support. Things seemed to go more or less to plan until Caster was summoned to close out the roster. Since Shirou was already being actively attacked, he chose to skip bringing in Gareth and go straight to bringing you in."
"What did you do next, Grandmother?" Illya asked with clear interest. Natalia was quite surprised at the term, freezing for a moment before regarding the young homunculus with a smirk.
"I pulled one over on your Grandfather."
February 26, 1980
Excavation Site
Tintagel, Cornwall, Britannia
6:45 AM
It was a cold, overcast British day as a disguised Natalia and a group of contract laborers were driven to the site of Tintagel Castle in a converted off-road truck. The bed had been modified into a bus-like passenger chamber that in no way met automotive safety standards. There was a sub-par heater that was desperately trying to keep the coat-wearing contractors comfortable in the near-freezing temperatures, but the makeshift interior was narrowly within the realm of 'tolerable with thick clothing'. The attire that Natalia wore was thick both because of this and to conceal her body shape. Her height and face were subtly altered by Gareth's Ring of Transformation, but dirty blonde hair dye and brown contact lenses did most of the heavy lifting. Though it was probable that the ring's use would not be detected even with extended contact, she didn't want to rely on that possibility for a twelve-hour period without some form of backup.
"Hey, I'm not complaining about the pay and the overtime. Even the albino maids running around are a nice perk. But why's this place so important?" One of the workers asked with the scent of beer on his breath.
"You ain't heard even that much? The Once and Future King was conceived at Tintagel Castle. King Richard the Lionheart rebuilt the place and tried to find every relic of King Artoria's he could that wasn't already under lock and key. There might be royal treasure here!" Hearing this comment from another worker made Natalia hold in a smirk. It wasn't King Richard I who rebuilt the castle, but rather his nephew Richard of Cornwall. It was an understandable mistake. Both Richards scoured Cornwall for Artorian artifacts just one generation apart from each other, and it was likely that the findings of the elder were entrusted to the younger.
If King Richard I were ever summoned as a Servant, it was possible that the erroneous-yet-common belief would make for some interesting consequences.
Servants. That was the key issue here, Natalia mused. The Einzberns wanted a Catalyst to summon Artoria Pendragon for the coming Grail War, but most known artifacts from the Artorian era were either missing or under the protection of the Blackmores at the behest of Gawain's successors. Rather than attack the Blackmores, who had direct ties to both the British Crown and the Mage's Association, the Einzberns had instead decided to search here for something of use. Their first attempts were planned for late 1939, immediately after the Third Holy Grail War, but the onset of World War II made this effort impossible. Even after the war, it was difficult for old German nobility to get permission to excavate a British Castle. It took this long for their efforts to resume and even then it was only possible with the official justification that Richard of Cornwall, who rebuilt Tintagel Castle, served as a German King later in life by leading the Holy Roman Empire. This site was thus relevant to many other European nations' histories as well, including that of Germany.
These men had been hired by the Einzberns to excavate the castle and resume the search for Artorian artifacts that could be used as Catalysts...and according to Merlin, they would soon be successful in claiming a certain Catalyst unless Natalia could intercede.
The truck came to a stop and the workers started to file out of the passenger cabin and stand in line. They were greeted by Einzbern homunculi and a few personnel from the Clock Tower's Departments of Archaeology and Spiritual Evocation. There were also several people from the Catholic Church. A student named Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald was among those in attendance as an observer, clearly disinterested in being here but likely doing so to please his family's allies. One person from the Department of Policies was also here to keep things in line. One of the Einzbern homunculi pushed a cart along the line of workers, from which each person claimed the tools of their trade. No one was allowed to bring their own tools or use anything but that which was provided by the Einzberns. This was because the tools were Mystic Codes designed not to harm anything that had sufficient Mystery, not that the mundane workers had to be aware of this. These tools were collected again at the end of the day. After the tools were dispensed, the workers were told where to start digging and sent to their positions. The general tone toward the workers could be described as one of distant tolerance. Those who could not handle the job's minimal direction or long hours were dismissed with a fairly high turnover rate. This was Natalia's ninth day on the job, yet she had more seniority than half of the workers present. This would hopefully serve her well once her mission was done since she was unlikely to be the only one to quit on any given day. It would be less suspicious.
Her luck, however, was limited. It seemed that she was assigned to dig somewhere other than where Merlin had said Avalon was to be located at the end of today. The disguised mercenary would have to wait for her opportunity. Six hours into the day, her chance came in the form of lunch. It was a twenty-minute break where everyone ate and got to rest from their troubles to the minimum possible extent that the Einzberns could allow. Natalia, however, decided that she preferred to pursue a different course of action. After eating the provided meal as swiftly as decorum allowed, she approached one of the maids that had served lunch. The mercenary would have to speak carefully and formally here, lest she risk being dismissed.
"Ma'am, I am assigned to dig in a specific area today but have this unshakable feeling that I would have found something if I had just a little more time in the spot where I was three days ago. Might I spend the remainder of the lunch period digging in that location? I don't want to inconvenience you or mess up your schedule for my curiosity, so I would gladly return to my proper post at the end of lunch. There would be no resulting delay, just some extra work done." The other workers all stared at Natalia as if she had grown a second head. No one dared to speak to the maids, but that was mostly because of how untouchable and no-nonsense they were.
Thankfully, speaking to them with respect, reason, and an offer that benefited them was not met with hostility. The homunculus considered the request. All told, the idea of giving the workers a twenty-minute lunch was a concession that they only abided by for the purposes of local law. If one of the workers wanted to put forth more effort, that was a net gain. There was also the possibility that this 'feeling' was an undocumented sensitivity to Mystery rather than random chance. The area in question was even plainly visible from this location, so it wasn't like the young woman would be unsupervised. "We do not see a downside to your request. You have twelve minutes and twenty-eight seconds to verify your suspicions."
"Thank you, ma'am." As giving a curtsy would be inappropriate in the attire she wore, the disguised Natasha instead bowed before reclaiming her tools. She would then walk off to where she had been told to dig by Merlin and where she had been assigned three days prior. The maids watched her enough to ensure she stole nothing but did not expect her to subtly use her Ring of Transformation to conceal just how much earth she was moving. The power of the ring, which allowed her to manipulate light within two meters of her, was used to carefully alter the apparent pace of her digging. Thus, when her shovel hit a box, she appeared to still be digging a hole that was only 75% the depth of its true measure. It was like slowing the speed of a security camera's footage to cover up for a removed section.
The woman opened the box to inspect the contents after verifying that it was not booby-trapped. The first item within was an untarnished scabbard of gold with blue enamel, the open end of which had the handle and hilt of a blade affixed into place with a resin plug. The rattling sound heard when the scabbard was moved implied that the sword within had been broken. The scabbard itself was her target, the Conceptual Noble Phantasm Avalon that King Richard I had found and that the Einzberns could not be allowed to obtain. Merlin had told her of Caliburn's fragments inside beforehand and that she was to leave them in the scabbard. They were, to quote the Magus of Flowers, 'a boon for Kiritsugu's son in the future'. The next item was a sword that was completely separate from this find and had strange tags attached to its hilt. With the sword was a plate with an inscription in Old British, as well as Modern British and Standard High German, which read:
Here, recovered in the midst of my travels during the Year of our Lord 1178, is the Sword of the Strange Hangings used by King David of Israel and later Sir Galahad of the Round Table. In accordance with the advice of Merlin, Court Magus and Dreamwalker of Camelot, I hereby order that this blade rest undisturbed at Tintagel until 1980 when it is found by Merlin's descendant and entrusted to the Einzberns of the Rhine.
King Richard, 1194
Translation into languages yet unwritten by Court Magus, Count of Saint Germain, 1195
Merlin was obviously having too much fun with this. Explicitly labeling her as his descendant was bad enough, but this was also the man's way of instigating tension between the Church and the Mage's Association. King David's sword in the hands of Mages was news that the Church surely wouldn't enjoy. Still, something valuable had to be put in the box alongside Avalon for the Einzberns to claim. Natalia would otherwise be suspicious for finding an empty box. To think that Merlin had planned this out so thoroughly in advance centuries prior...
After removing the scabbard and putting the box back into its crevice in the ground, Natalia focused. She had to time this just right. Natalia held the scabbard to her chest as Merlin had instructed her to and allowed it to dissolve into motes of light that were absorbed by her body. The light show was concealed by Gareth's Ring of Transformation and its light control powers. Her very being thus concealed Avalon and Caliburn so as to smuggle them away. The Einzberns who were watching instead saw the illusion of Natalia's shovel unearthing the seemingly unopened box at the same moment they felt a momentary discharge of magical energy. Natalia then promptly took her shovel and made sure she was synchronized with the illusion the ring was giving before dropping its effect.
Several maids stood and converged on Natalia's location at a brisk pace, as did the representatives of the Clock Tower and a few from the Catholic Church. This was the moment of truth. Had she managed to effectively steal Avalon from right before their eyes?
"Step back so that we may inspect the artifact," one of the homunculi ordered Natalia, who promptly complied in covert relief as they chose not to focus on her. The mercenary stood well away and allowed the maids and personnel to inspect the box for several moments before they opened it...and froze. Surely they had noticed the plate within. Hushed tones were spoken, light confusion breaking the maids' normal stoicism as Merlin's words had their intended effect. Somewhere in Germany, observing in real time through his albino creations, Jubstacheit von Einzbern was more than a bit surprised at encountering proof of Merlin's Clairvoyance and the apparent support he had provided to the Einzberns' cause. This would not stop him from seeking out King Artoria, however.
After verifying the relic's holy nature, there was an argument between the Mage's Association and Church representatives as they disputed ownership of the artifact. They were all surely sent to do so from the beginning to take any finds of note them from the Einzberns if possible, but a representative from the Department of Policies eventually interceded. Both Merlin and a King-Regent of the Britons had deemed the Einzberns the proper custodians of the blade by date and by name. There was nothing that could be done to contest it short of petitioning the current-day King-Regent and the Pope. The former would surely yield to Merlin's judgment, risking a rift between Britannia and the Church if they proceeded carelessly. The Church representatives decided to petition the West German Government to get involved as both an intermediary and a participant in these talks, but this clearly wouldn't be resolved today.
The maid Natalia had initially spoken to ignored the bickering and instead addressed her. "How did you know this was here? What was the source of this strange feeling you mentioned?"
Natalia had, thankfully, been coached by Merlin on what to say to this question. "I had a dream about finding something here. It was supposed to be a sword with strange tags hanging from its hilt rather than a box, though." The other contractors who had not seen the inside of the box looked at her strangely, but the others present quickly took Natalia at her word. Merlin was one who spoke to others through their dreams. If he wanted this artifact to be given to the Einzberns, using one to tell a worker where to dig was to be expected. This was especially true if it was his own descendant.
The maid responded to Natalia without critique. "This box contains such a sword. It is fortuitous that you verified your suspicions. The agreed-upon bonus for finding the artifact will be added to your pay. You have two minutes and sixteen seconds left in your lunch break to rest, then all personnel will resume digging at this location for the remainder of the day instead of at their assigned locations."
No worker cared about those two minutes. Instead, they each wanted to be the next one to earn a bonus and leapt into action. Over the next six hours, an ancient storeroom of artifacts was unearthed. None of the items within were quite as valuable as the Sword of the Strange Hangings, but many items were uncovered including minor holy relics and other things that could work as Catalysts. Nothing was suitable for summoning King Artoria aside from some pieces of the Round Table, which could as easily have summoned any other relevant Knight. Still, a small fortune was given to the various contractors by the Einzberns and the largest export of Catalysts from Britannia in the modern era was imminent.
Natalia hoped that Merlin's allowing of this wouldn't backfire later.
November 23, 1994
Ahnenerbe Restaurant
Fuyuki City
9:58 PM
Silence filled Ahnenerbe once more for several moments, only to be broken by Iskandar's deep laughter. Illya joined in a split-second later, the unlikely pair intensely amused. The glasses-wearing bookworm gave them both dirty looks ostensibly due to the noise.
"I love that tale!" Iskandar bellowed. "You seized the spoils right out from under their noses and they paid you for it! It may have been a bit more cloak and dagger than I would have done, but just as bold! Did they ever find out?" Iskandar asked with a massive grin.
"They still have no idea," Natalia said, taking a sip of her protein shake-laced coffee. "To this day they think Avalon was never found and they still consider it to be 'missing'. That's why they had to attack the Blackmores to obtain Rhongomyniad to guarantee the summoning of King Arthur. Of course, that meant they were locked out of summoning one from the Saber class. It also secured Avalon for...other purposes and forced the Einzberns to abduct Gray, saving her from her situation. Merlin said that it also had the side effect of keeping an Artorian catalyst out of the hands of the Matou, ultimately leading to Boudica being summoned instead of the Berserker Lancelot that we would have gotten." Lancer Artoria gave the tiniest of flinches, feeling intense guilt for how she handled her wayward Knight. She had heard of her counterpart's experiences in the Fourth Holy Grail War.
"Serves Grandfather right! Thank you for making a fool out of him, Grandmother!" Illya said, warming up to Kiritsugu's adopted mother quickly. Even Maiya seemed to be showing signs of respect. It was clear that this was the woman who had taught Kiritsugu his skills.
"I highly doubt that the Clock Tower simply let you take your pay and walk away, being declared the descendant of Merlin like that," Kiritsugu observed.
Natalia shrugged. "You're not wrong. I had to stick with the other contractors for as long as possible. We got paid and went to a pub to celebrate. Oh, we were followed, but they couldn't really act until I was alone. I went to one of the stalls in the ladies' room, used the ring to take on another appearance entirely, and escaped as soon as stealth allowed. Half a dozen changes to my appearance and a few cab rides later, I got to an airport and escaped to France. I got some help from a couple of others after I arrived, but that's not my story to tell. The Clock Tower is still looking for any sign of 'Merlin's descendant' and is of the opinion that he told me to flee...which is pretty much right."
"Wait," Irisviel said in realization, "you said King Richard had a Court Magus known as 'the Count of Saint Germain' who recorded the text on that plate into modern languages. Was 'Saint Germain' a disguise of Merlin's?"
"Of course not! I am most certainly real!" The words drew the attention of the collective group to the oddly-dressed nobleman who had been speaking so animatedly with Iskandar. "I have attended court with King Solomon, stood at the side of Iskandar during his conquests, advised King Richard the Lionheart, entertained the nobles of Europe and Russia, and hold countless other accolades. I know I must change names now and then due to the impermanence of human circumstances, but is the Count of Saint Germain truly so forgotten in this era?" He then looked toward the bookworm. "Why don't you say something, Mei—"
He was temporarily silenced by a glare that promised death, or at least as close to it as his seemingly ageless constitution could allow. There was something inhuman in that bookworm's glare that once more silenced the room. The woman's pretty boy partner stood as still as a statue, waiting to see if a fight was about to break out that he needed to intercede in.
"...charming," the Count said with a tinge of sarcasm. "You know that if you are to receive what you truly desire, the child will look into your history, right? That's just the nature of his power. That and you will have to be introduced to his family if you want to tie your life to his in such a permanent way—"
The glare intensified as the bookworm protested. "Don't say something so easily misunderstood! I am loyal to Lord Xiang Yu!"
"Tie your life to his?" Artoria asked in clear concern. She reined in her potential anger in hopes that there was a suitable explanation.
Natalia chose to provide one. "Calm down, Artoria. I know what she wants. It's nothing like marriage. I just can't say anything because it's not my place to do so without asking first." Natalia gave a sigh before looking at the Chinese bookworm. "All these years and you still let him rile you up. Should I just tell your part of the story and let them find out that way?"
There was strong hesitation, but the woman sighed after a few moments. "Do what you will, Natalia...but if anyone here does anything to sabotage my life simply because of what I am, I am more than capable of matching a Servant in combat."
That threat silenced many of the people in the room, giving Natalia the floor again. "Right. Let's see...I had just escaped Britannia and flown over to France...
February 27, 1980
Dinard Airport
Pleurtuit, Brittany, France
2:39 AM
After arriving at France's Dinard Airport in the early hours of the morning in yet another disguise and hair color, she soon found herself waiting at a curb outside the terminal for someone who Merlin told her would pick her up. She was by no means expecting a steampunk-looking vehicle to pull up to her or for a man who looked like a dandy-themed jester in a top hat and an ostentatious outfit to arrive. His attire was a wild parody of the clothing many mages wore and his smile carried mischief. Natalia's experience in reading people implied that this man carried a love of life found through adventure and hedonism.
"Might you be lost along the road of life? Let us hurry to your destined path!" The man said with a flair for the dramatic, reciting the key phrase Merlin had provided. Natalia was more than a bit disappointed that this was her contact.
"You seek to light my way? Truly, a presumptuous man." Natalia's own key phrase made the man smile wider and open the passenger door to reveal the interior. Natalia would realize that it was a car unlike any other, clearly a parody derived more from Magecraft than any science of automaking. As she entered the vehicle and buckled up, her driver took note of a young Chinese woman who was approaching from another direction. On seeing the car, irritated recognition crossed the woman's face and she started to run towards them. The vehicle roared to life and started to surge down the street in response, leaving her in the dust. Natalia took note of the exotic woman and inquired with the oddly dressed hedonist. "An enemy?" Natalia inquired.
"More a 'frustrated friend' who only tolerates me in small doses. Where I embrace my longevity so as to explore this ever-changing world and its pleasures, she wears her own like a weight and hides herself away. We aren't very compatible, sadly. Not for lack of trying on my part, mind you!" He gave an amused laugh, recalling things to which Natalia was not privy. Were they romantically involved? Shaking his head, the man decided to introduce himself.
"Natalia Kaminski, I've awaited your arrival for a very long time. I never use the name of my birth but am known to history as the Count of Saint Germain. Did you have fun with my and Richard's treasure hunt? I must confess that translating Richard's words into languages that had yet to exist back then was a worthy challenge for me."
The mercenary found herself speechless for a moment, getting the distinct impression that this must have been how Alice felt when she found herself transported to Wonderland. He certainly had the Mad Hatter look down.
La Demeure Aux Hortensias
Pleurtuit, Brittany, France
3:05 AM
As the vehicle parked outside of a nineteenth-century guest house where they would sleep for the rest of the morning, Natalia pondered over the conversation she'd had with her odd driver. Aside from the fact that he'd been sent by Merlin, she'd learned very little about the man after he introduced himself. This made a strange amount of sense when recalling what was publicly known of his odd history.
The Count of Saint Germain was best known as a mid-eighteenth-century socialite who navigated and entertained the social circles of European high society. No one knew his true identity, even after much investigation, and many considered him mad for making contradictory and nonsensical claims that further muddied the waters. An example was when he had claimed to be over 500 years old and had been jokingly referred to as 'The Wonderman' by Voltaire in response. His versatility as an entertainer, his capacity for philosophy, and the sheer novelty and charisma he brought to a conversation ultimately bought him fame and fellowship rather than rejection. It seemed that his behavior remained consistent into the modern era.
No, the only new revelation was that his claim of being over 500 years old in the mid-1700s seemed to be supported by his being the Court Magus of King Richard I in 1195. How many of the things that seemed nonsensical when he'd said them were actually true? Was this man a Dead Apostle or something? The odds of that were low if Merlin was associating with him, but Natalia was still on her guard as they entered the building and went to the Green Room that had been reserved for their use.
On entry into their room, the pair observed the glasses-wearing woman from before sitting in a chair and reading a book. As soon as she perceived their presence, she closed the book and glared openly at the Count. "Merlin said you'd be here," the odd woman said while answering the unspoken question. Natalia took the mention of the Magus of Flowers as a sign to shut the door behind her. After this, the stranger cast a common spell that was designed to keep any noise of their conversation from escaping the room. It was a necessity for discussing Magecraft in any public venue.
"So, why did you drive off and leave me behind? Did you realize that I would have a problem with this little plan of yours?" The woman asked, eyes bearing down on the hedonist.
The man gave a shrug as if her ire didn't concern him in the least. "Really, it just seemed like a good opportunity to give you some exercise. Hiding yourself away to read books for centuries on end isn't good for you." The Count of Saint Germain ignored the strange woman's glare and turned his head towards Natalia. "Yu Mei-ren here is usually a lot stronger. Chasing down a car is nothing compared to the feats she pulled off during the war. I just need to give her a little poke every few decades so she doesn't lose her power or gain weight—"
A blade coated with fire horizontally slashed the top of Saint Germain's hat, setting it ablaze. He tossed the two halves on the floor with a cry and started to stomp on them to put out the flames. Natalia had barely seen the woman draw her twin Chinese swords, much less ignite the blades, before the damage was done. "Saying my True Name in front of a mortal? Just what are your nerves made of?" As no immediate answer came from her fire-distracted victim as he tried to stomp out the flames, Yu Mei-ren soon sent a speculative glance to Natalia and decided to clarify her position. "Don't go thinking I defended people in that war. I hate humans. The Germans simply stole something of value to me. If their soldiers stood in my way while I looked for it, I left their corpses in my wake. It's that simple."
"That and you hated the book burnings," the Count elaborated after he finally put out the flames. He flopped the bottom half of his charred and mangled hat back on his head with a pout on his face.
"Of course I did! If humans want to kill each other, that's one thing; but leave my books and libraries out of it!" Natalia was starting to recognize the somewhat alien logic that she'd begun to associate with non-humans through her interactions over the years. She recalled the tale of Consort Yu Mei-ren, the devoted concubine of the Chinese warlord Xiang Yu. She stayed with her man even as he moved upon the battlefield and ended the Qin Dynasty...only for him to lose against a rival warlord who would become the new Emperor of China. Yu Mei-ren was said to have committed suicide, but that must not have happened as history remembered.
"Lady Yu," Natalia inquired of the immortal, drawing the attention of the irritated newcomer once more. "I think the Count is trying to distract us. Just what upsets you about this 'plan'?" Throwing the man under the bus to get things back on track was a calculated move, one designed to give Natalia some answers and detach herself from the Count's shenanigans. There was no reason for her to take on the burden of the ancient woman's anger if it could all be laid, rightly, on the strategically bumbling man in their company.
"...Yes. He is frustratingly skilled at that." Yu Mei-ren conceded, glaring briefly at the man who had grown so apt at pushing her buttons over the centuries. She then gave a more neutral look towards Natalia. "Call me Akari Akuta. That's my name until I have to fake my death again and change it in a decade or two. As for the problem, it's related to that scabbard you've temporarily taken inside of you. Do you know what it does?"
Natasha gave a subtle nod. "I've been told it prevents aging, lets one regenerate from any wound, and provides an ultimate defense when invoked. But only for those it is properly tuned for. Merlin told me I'm just keeping it safe and that I shouldn't rely on it for anything."
Mei-ren's irritation seemed to dull ever so slightly more at the knowledge that Avalon's current bearer had no intention of claiming immortality for herself. It didn't reduce the nature of the problem, however. "But there is someone who Merlin wants to resurrect from death and award with that conditional immortality. It's not your son, but someone whose story has already ended. Someone who had the satisfaction of dying while knowing their loved one, their sovereign, was finally saved and headed for a place of eternal peace due to his sacrifice. To take that away from him and give them our curse of immortality? How am I supposed to accept that? Do you people even know what you're doing?"
The Count of Saint Germain's eyes widened ever so slightly in realization before setting back into a focused expression that Natalia had yet to see on his face before. "Your legend. Your lord and loved one couldn't be saved from his final battle, while you're forced to walk the Earth as a True Ancestor unable to join him in death. You've sought a place isolated from humanity to rest ever since. The boy was able to die saving the life of his King and loved one from her final battle, and she was given such a place to rest for her eternity. Your stories have the same puzzle pieces but they are arranged into a very different end solution. To be forced to look at what might have been—"
A cold glare bore down on the Count as Yu Mei-ren clearly considered a certain line to have been crossed. "Do not claim to understand my feelings!"
"You're right! I don't understand! So I'll ask you instead. How would you feel if the place of rest you seek did not ease your suffering? Would you seek a way to be by Xiang Yu's side again? What would you do if you found a way?" Yu Mei-ren froze at his questions, her eyes wide as the Count pressed onward. "Because that's what King Artoria found! She has your eternity. She has the place of rest you seek to hide away in. But she does not have the one she mourns! This isn't about cursing someone to wander the Earth without rest. This is about the saved calling their lover back to them to spend that time together. Shirou Emiya will not be some version of you in this tale! He is King Artoria's Xiang Yu, and he will not be alone."
The once-angered woman looked down at the ground, the blades in her grip trembling a bit. She had clearly identified with Shirou. She wished she could have died saving Xiang Yu just as he died saving his King and lover. The idea that he would be forced to take on her own role and endlessly roam the Earth had made Yu Mei-ren furious. It was a noble end that was stolen from him. But the Count's words forced her to consider the other perspective. A perspective that she seemed just as able to understand.
Natalia really wanted a cigarette to make this madness more tolerable. It was a shame that she was out of them right now. Thankfully, a potentially distracting idea entered her mind. "Why don't you just call on your man as a Servant during a Grail War?" Yu Mei-ren's head snapped towards Natalia, the mercenary having secured the Xian's undivided attention. "I'm not an expert, but Merlin told me that a Master with enough magical power can sustain their Servant without a Grail. Wouldn't your immortal, magical body be an asset for that? Your body might even serve as a Catalyst for summoning him to start with, though throwing in some personal items of his could boost those odds."
Only Yu Mei-ren's muscle memory kept her from dropping those swords at the feeling of hope that rushed into her heart. In another timeline, Marisbury Animusphere presented the same idea and managed to draw the woman to Antarctica to fight a war for him and the very humanity she hated. There was no way that this version of Yu Mei-ren could ignore Natalia's proposal.
The Count gave a smirk, walking right into Yu Mei-ren's personal space. "I see...so this is why Merlin was so sure you'd come around in the end. Help us revive a boy who can make Catalysts who just so happens to be connected to the Grail Wars and you've got a shot at your own happiness." The jester walked around a stunned Consort Yu, sizing her up. "You've let yourself go too much to comfortably sustain a Servant indefinitely. If you train for the rest of the decade, and I mean seriously train yourself, then you might be ready by the 1990s. That means no more neglecting yourself. Are you willing to quit hiding yourself away and work for it if it gives you a chance—" Yu Mei-ren pushed the irritating man out of her personal space.
"Get back and wipe that smug grin off your face! You're so insufferable when you're right! I'd think you were the spawn of Merlin, not her!" Yu Mei-ren took several moments to collect her feelings and thoughts. After warring with herself for a time, she came to a decision. "...fine. Ten years. That's almost nothing. I still have some generational connections with the Witches in the Clock Tower's Department of Botany. That should get me started. But know this...I won't let you corrupt the young one, Count. A young Xian shouldn't have you as a role model."
The dandy man nodded. "It's not like he'll be allowed to know about us anyway. We have to play by the script until at least the Fourth Holy Grail War. I'm not even allowed in the same country as the kid until then."
Yu Mei-ren scrutinized the man for a time before she finally broke off from the pair and walked into one of two bedrooms with two twin beds. "I'm going to sleep. Merlin has some explaining to do, and it's the best way to contact him." At that, she gave Natalia a slightly more neutral look. "Natalia, was it? You'll sleep in this room as well. I don't trust this filth sleeping in the same room as a woman. Don't be alone with him any more than necessary."
"I think she likes you," the Count teased. "Well, as much as she can like a human on the first meeting anyway. Tiny bit. Itty-bitty bit. Helps that you're not entirely human." He held up his thumb and index finger to where there was only a tiny amount of space between them to emphasize this statement. In response, Natalia simply walked past him and joined the female immortal in their shared room...forming the early beginnings of camaraderie from feelings of hope and a mutual irritation towards a certain hedonist.
November 23, 1994
Ahnenerbe Restaurant
Fuyuki City
10:06 PM
"A...True Ancestor?" Waver Velvet uttered in shock. The boy clenched his lips shut in fear when Consort Yu turned her eyes toward him.
She spoke with forced patience. "...I'm not descended from the Crimson Moon's design. I'm an Elemental in the form of a Xian and a Zhenren from Taoism. Yes, I'm capable of vampirism, but I don't have the biological need or the psychological compulsion. I just draw from the planet for energy using my connection to nature instead. It's more efficient anyway. You could say I'm similar but have had the flaws ironed out." Yu Mei-ren's words seemed to be a great relief to Waver. Oh, she was still obscenely powerful, but she wasn't malicious or insane. He'd take it. Taiga, meanwhile, seemed to be stunned into horrified silence at the prospect of being in the presence of a vampire of any sort.
Still, calming down had compelled Waver to notice something. "Wait...why would a Chinese Elemental use a Japanese name?" Waver asked.
"It adds one more degree of separation from the truth. Most of the Clock Tower's people can't tell one type of Asian from another anyway." Hinako responded, clearly wanting Waver to stop asking her questions.
The sunglasses-wearing pretty boy finally spoke up. "Can you please stop antagonizing my Master for what she was born as? She was been doing her best to simply have lunch in peace until the Count went and tried to say her True Name in a public place."
Kariya gave a shrug. "I'm not judging her, at least. She seems a lot better than the vampire I know, and he started out human. I'm more concerned about everyone missing the part where Shirou was said to be destined to have Avalon stuffed into him and made immortal for Saber's sake. Because of romance?" That was met with more silence as the few unaware eyes remaining looked toward Saber Artoria.
"...Over half of you already know the story," Artoria said to the group. "As I lay dying at the Battle of Camlann in the year 537, Avalon stolen from my person, I wanted to pursue the Holy Grail to rewrite my own history to save my nation. Alaya offered me a contract. If I obtained the Grail and my wish, I would then serve its needs. But during the Fifth Holy Grail War, in which an older Shirou was my Master...he returned Avalon to me and lost his life after convincing me of the error of my ways and winning my heart with his efforts. When I returned once more to Camlann, I found myself with my true scabbard healing me and the will to reject Alaya's contract. Shirou died where he should have lived and I lived where I should have died. I was still taken to the land of Avalon...but imagine our surprise when we found that Shirou's soul had come with me under the care of the scabbard. I suspect that his soul was drawn to it in the end either due to having lived with it inside him for most of his life or...by some level of choice on his part. Certain events had forged in him an affinity with the scabbard. On top of all of this, we found that the future had changed."
"Changed?" Waver inquired.
"In addition to my own survival, which was not supposed to be, it seems that Mordred and Gawain both lived as well. Also, Shirou's soul from the Fifth Holy Grail War came with me when I was brought to Avalon. Those details alone created another Worldline, one that required active effort to ensure that Shirou came to be. Merlin even predicted that the car accident that claimed Shirou's parents in this Worldline would have killed him before his birth, had Avalon not been implanted into his pregnant mother in time. Both my Shirou and this timeline's Shirou's souls fused together in the womb, and we have Shirou Enjou...who will be permitted to live his own life and decline me if he so chooses. I do not wish to force him to remember, or force him to simply yield to my desires...I wish him to be happy. Even if it is with another." She glanced at Shirou as she said this, hoping the boy understood. Irisviel noted that he seemed slightly flustered, not expecting what was essentially a delayed marriage proposal.
Irisviel felt Artoria's words to be strange. Alaya wanted Shirou to exist and serve its needs...to suffer during this War and be warped. Why would Shirou have died without Artoria's intervention? The clever woman started to suspect Merlin of meddling more than Artoria knew. A glance to Kiritsugu and a somewhat surprised Natalia confirmed that they suspected the same...but saying so at this point would serve no purpose.
"...He really is your Lord Xiang Yu," Yu Mei-ren uttered. She gave a sigh of acknowledgment "Well, Merlin recruited me to assist with various things. If young Shirou would grant me my husband's weapon as a Catalyst and later allow me, my Servant, and my husband to live in his domain, that would make me happier than I've been since my husband was alive. If his domain has ample books, even better."
The Count gave a slightly confused look to the man at Consort Yu's side. "Speaking of your Servant...Mei-ren, the last I heard you were off to the Tokyo Subcategory Holy Grail War a few years ago with a plan to use yourself as a Catalyst to summon your husband. What happened?"
Yu Mei-ren's eye twitched as she silently remembered.
December 24, 1990
Skyscraper Rooftop
Shinjuku, Japan
7:00 PM
Yu Mei-ren stood near a carefully crafted Magic Circle, for which she would act as both Summoner and Catalyst. Everything was in place. The table and chairs were present, the huge tub of fried chicken and the Christmas cake were waiting, the wine was chilled, and she was wearing a form-fitting dress for the occasion. All had been prepared to welcome back her Xiang Yu for a Christmas date. Truly, she preferred the Japanese method of celebrating the holiday over the Western one.
Oh, some would say that summoning a Servant over a month early was madness. She would have to endure the full energy cost of their existence without the Grail supporting her...but she planned to do that permanently anyway. Summoning early meant that she summoned first, and thus could have access to all of the classes possible. If some human wanted to summon a Servant who carried the same class as her Xiang Yu? Well, too bad. She needed it more. Then she and her Servant could skip town and go to the other side of the planet before anyone could stop them. Who cared about winning the Grail? And if she was going this far anyway, why not choose a day worth remembering to bring back her husband?
Knowing it was time, she began to speak the incantation.
"Elements of Silver and Iron. Foundation of Stone and the Archduke of Pacts.
The ancestor is my great master Gaia.
A wall for descending wind. Close the four cardinal gates.
Come forth from the crown and follow the three-forked road leading from the Kingdom.
Fill. Fill. Fill. Fill. Fill. Let each be turned over five times, simply breaking asunder the fulfilled time.
Behold, my will creates your body and your sword my destiny!
If you heed the Grail's call, and obey my will and reason, then answer me!
I hereby swear that I shall be all the good in the World and that I shall defeat all the evil in the World.
From the Seventh Heaven, clad in three great words of power,
Come forth now, Guardian of the Scales!"
The circle erupted in a bright flash of cyan light. Yu Mei-ren beamed in excitement...until she saw who had answered. A masked man with light-gray hair and an ornate mask stood wearing the clothing of ancient Chinese nobility. He then spoke. "Answering the call of my friend, who I have devoutly wished to see once more, I am Gao Changgong. Thank you for summoning me Lady Yu—...my Lady?"
The Prince of Lanling, Gao Changgong, took in a very unexpected scene. He saw a provocatively dressed Yu Mei-ren vacantly staring at him while crying tears of blood and standing in front of a table full of odd food choices. It took a moment for the Grail to provide the applicable knowledge to make sense of the situation. Knowing the desires of the woman before him, he realized too late who she had been attempting to summon.
He would never repeat the vulgar word the Grail had for what he had just done to his friend, but the 'blocked' part was quite accurate.
November 23, 1994
Ahnenerbe Restaurant
Fuyuki City
10:11 PM
A flash of cyan light came from the Emiya-Einzbern table. Everyone looked in that direction to find a Catalyst sitting on the table and intense pity in Shirou's glowing, golden eyes. "Lady Yu...you can have this and both of you can move in whenever you want. So can your husband when you summon him. I just need to figure out how to let you in. I'm sure Merlin can tell us how." Everyone who knew of Shirou's Mystic Eyes likely realized that he had seen exactly what happened at the time in question. Something so horrible that it made him agree to Yu Mei-ren's request for a Catalyst and asylum.
Yu Mei-ren appeared to Irisviel as the sort of woman to hate being pitied, but she was too distracted by the Catalyst she had been presented with. She slowly stepped forward and accepted the item—an ornate and durable spear that was clearly a Noble Phantasm. She held it close to her body and apparently couldn't find it in herself to be upset at the child. "...thank you. I won't forget this kindness. Now all that is left is to summon my husband."
"Sorry," the sunglasses-wearing man said immediately after this. "You would already have him by now if I had the presence of mind to stay out of the way."
Consort Yu gently smacked her Servant's shoulder with the back of her hand. "S-stop that. It's not your fault. I didn't quite have the energy needed to sustain Lord Xiang Yu at the time, so the Grail picked a Servant I could handle. I was just lucky that it picked my best friend. Everyone, this is the Prince of Lanling, Gao Changgong. I summoned him in the 1991 Tokyo Subcategory Holy Grail War and promptly left the battlefield. A puny mini-Grail like that couldn't have revived my husband had I fought and won, so it was useless to me. We're not a part of your Grail War at all."
"I told you to train," the Count of Saint Germain said with a sigh.
"I did train! Every day! Do you know how hard it was to get back into shape after all those years? It's not like killing those book burners during the Second World War was much of a workout!" Yu Mei-ren exclaimed, cheeks slightly tinged red with a mix of embarrassment and rage. "Besides, I'm ready now! With Changgong, I was able to push my training far harder. Now I'll be able to support the energy needs of both him and Lord Xiang Yu! I'll bring him back next time, you'll see!"
The Count raised an eyebrow. "That's assuming abandoning one Grail doesn't make you ineligible for all of the rest. I'm pretty sure that just claiming a Servant and running away breaks a rule somewhere."
Yu Mei-ren almost flinched, but then her Servant stood between her and the Count. "Stop antagonizing her. Do you want to lose another hat or be kicked out by Zelretch? You're breaking etiquette."
The Count seemed briefly insulted at the notion that his manners were lacking in a social setting but was forced to rein himself back. "True, true. My apologies. Perhaps we should let Natalia resume her story..."
Natalia gave a slight sigh of relief and a thankful nod to the Prince of Lanling. "Alright. Because I had to maintain the same lifestyle as I otherwise would to guarantee Kiritsugu's path, I stayed a Mercenary and did my stock market and real estate trading on the side rather than deviating in obvious ways. Mei-ren has a lot of ancient Chinese antiques that she simply considered junk, so we got our hands on even more money by selling some of them. The Count is charismatic and handled some face-to-face interactions. Other than that and taking some night classes in trading under a false name, things were pretty much the same until my last mission with Kiritsugu."
Just looking at Kiritsugu's stony face revealed to Irisviel that Kiritsugu was not looking forward to this, but still needed to know what happened.
May 9, 1982
Sky France-owned Airbus A300
Atlantic Ocean, en route to New York
8:31 PM, Sunset
Natalia was trapped. She was in the cockpit of an airliner in which the corpses of the pilot and copilot rested, their blood smearing the walls and controls of the plane. This was the only place she could find refuge from the passengers who had been turned into ghouls, and the vampiric bees whose stings turned the passengers into ghouls in the first place. She should have remembered that just because the Dead Apostle was killed didn't mean that there weren't booby traps to deal with. Some of them were spiteful about being taken out. She was piloting the plane towards New York City to land and try to figure something out. Her current thinking was to break a window and crawl out of the cockpit before torching the plane, but she hadn't worked out how to execute that without endangering the whole east coast of the United States just yet. For now? She was chattering with Kiritsugu over the radio about mundane things to ease her nerves.
"...If I weren't working...the only thing left for me to do would be to really act like a mother, I guess." With a bitter chuckle, Natalia carefully held herself together. This had become a topic she wouldn't openly discuss with Kiritsugu unless she expected to die.
"Natalia, you are my real...family." Kiritsugu said in a halting and remorseful tone from his position on a small boat in the open Atlantic Ocean, a tone that hinted at grief to the ears of the veteran mercenary. He didn't believe she would survive this either. She could tell. Then, immediately after, she heard the tell-tale sound of a rocket launcher's discharge over their radio link.
When the area behind her exploded seconds later, and the door to the cockpit was forced open to bathe Natalia in flames, she just barely had time to smile. She knew Kiritsugu had done it and why. Letting her land would have been a selfish act. The number of lives that might have been lost to a mindless ghoul infestation if she failed to contain it after landing was too much for the boy to risk. No...asking him to risk a ghoul outbreak like the one that he'd seen in his childhood was too much.
As pain and light filled Natalia's senses, lost promptly consciousness.
Location Unknown
Natalia opened her eyes to the familiar dreamscape based on Avalon, as well as the visage of Merlin. She was seated in a chair of vines just like the one she had rejected when he first contacted her. Her ancestor's smile carried not its typical smugness, but an odd fondness which she only occasionally saw when he felt parental. "You've raised Kiritsugu to be the man he needed to be for the coming challenges. Flawed, as all men are, but those same flaws will guide him to where he must go. Your duty to him is over...yes, this is where Natalia Kaminski's story ends."
Natalia tensed up, her hands clenching as recent events caught up with her. To say she was satisfied would be a lie. "...So this is it then. I died to break him. And what, I go here as an afterlife for my trouble? Or are you keeping me company in this dream one last time until my brain dies?"
Merlin reached forward and touched Natalia's shoulder, an action he'd never normally get away with. "Now, now...none of that, child. Remember the scabbard that rests within you. It is true that you are not its intended master...but just this once, with the support of my King, its blessing will be granted to you. Vivian and I have each thrown in a little something to assist as well." Realization dawned on Natalia's face as the smug, knowing smile returned. "Natalia Kaminski may be gone, at least for now, but is my descendant not like me in that she is known to the world by many names? Names forged and falsified through modern means so she might work toward that day when she will be needed again? Of course, if you need a proper name that is just as true as the old, then perhaps Natalia Emrys will do. You can also reclaim your true name when the Fourth Fuyuki Grail War has set the proper stage."
As soon as realization dawned, the dream ended before she could respond.
Atlantic Ocean
10:46 PM
Natalia's eyes opened to meet the night sky above. The moon, the Milky Way, the myriad of stars above...this level of splendor was reserved for when the light pollution of civilization was too far away to interfere. Only when camping in certain remote places as part of a mission had she and Kiritsugu enjoyed this sight...but the view seemed somehow richer, as if her eyes could see more clearly than before.
The sensation of being rocked by lazily moving ocean waves pulled her from these thoughts, coaxing the thoroughly soaked woman to stand and explore where she found herself. As she did so, she put her hand out to support herself and put her weight upon it...realizing only when she was halfway standing that the black mass she found herself on was open sea. An open sea that did not prevent her from rising to her feet.
'Vivian and I have each thrown in a little something to assist as well.'
Natalia couldn't help but marvel at this as she looked around herself at the open ocean in all directions. She remembered that King Artoria was blessed by the Lady of the Lake to walk on water. If that was Vivian's contribution, then she had survived the explosion and subsequent fall thanks to the scabbard and avoided sinking thanks to Vivian's aid. If that was the case though, what was Merlin's contribution? Emrys was the Britannian reading of his family name...was there a clue there?
A sound akin to a jet engine drew Natalia's attention as a well-lit, privately owned boat came over the horizon and gradually grew larger. Rather than being powered by internal propulsion, the jet noise was coming from a flying, armored girl who was pulling the boat along by a pair of ropes in a clear application of Magecraft. The boat had to be Reinforced simply to endure the punishment of the seas at this speed. The girl's golden eyes had no problem finding Natalia in the dark and she pulled the strange boat into range. Now that the boat was close enough to her, Natalia recognized that the décor matched a certain odd car. She was thus not surprised when she saw the flamboyantly dressed man on the bow. "Ahoy, my accomplice! Do not go gentle into that good night...for there is much yet to be done!" The jovial voice of the Count of Saint Germain called out to her.
"Far from the voice I wanted to hear calling me back from the grave," she deadpanned as the flying girl dropped the tow ropes used to pull the ship and approached her. Natalia, whose clothes were largely destroyed or mangled in the explosion, was flung over the girl's shoulder like a functionally nude sack of potatoes before being lifted up to and deposited on the deck.
"Mélusine, please be more careful with her. Humans are fragile, remember? I don't like many of them, but we need this one." Yu Mei-ren called out to the new girl, chastising her for being too rough. The immortal woman had gone from tolerant to reasonably friendly to Natalia, though she was still the same introvert she'd always been. The mutual suffering and occasional enjoyment of the Count's antics helped to facilitate their relationship. Yu Mei-ren carried a robe and quickly wrapped it around Natalia's body. Thankfully, Gareth's Ring of Transformation survived unscathed on Natalia's finger.
"Such a voice must be a loud and welcoming one, Natalia. Otherwise, they risk being unheard or unheeded! I may not rank among the likes of Iskandar, Nero, or Richard in this regard; but I am the best suited for this task within our merry band!" The Count of Saint Germain smiled, remembering some of the most entertaining people he'd known in his long life.
"Don't worry, you have Nero's conceit down perfectly." Yu Mei-ren responded to the Count, recalling the irritating Emperor of Rome and her general attitude towards life. In protecting Natalia's modesty by wrapping her in that robe, she took notice of something with her senses and smiled. "Merlin was truthful. You are less human than you were before." Yu Mei-ren seemed to be pleased by this, though it drew confusion from Natalia.
"Wait, what? I didn't become a Dead Apostle or anything did I? I'm sure I wasn't stung or bitten by—" The woman inquired in clear concern.
"It is because of Avalon," Yu Mei-ren interjected. "Merlin told me he'd prioritize your succubus heritage while Avalon was putting you back together. I'd say you're...half and half? It's probably as much as he could manage since he was half too. You've been restored to your prime of life as well. With how much of your body you probably lost in that blast, it's the least he could do."
Natalia wanted to curse at the fact that her body was remodeled into such a being without her consent, but seeing Yu Mei-ren's expression be one of slight happiness gave her pause. It was as if the Xian's excuse to dislike Natalia as a 'human' was lifted. She must have felt lonely, being immortal with mainly the Count for eternal company. Said Count's grin was smug, and Natalia couldn't help but feel that Merlin planned this out to a ludicrous degree.
"So...who is this? Did you say...Mélusine? Like the French legend?" Natalia asked, recalling an odd legend about a half-Fairy with dragon wings whose lower half became that of a snake...but only on Saturdays. Curses could be strange.
The girl, now standing on the deck, did a small nod of the head. "I am not that being, though I am both a Fairy and a Dragon. The name is also...cute. You may refer to me as Mélusine Albion, kin to Doctor Albion of the Clock Tower. In truth, I am the resurrected Dragon of Albion and a Fairy Knight trained by my daughter Artoria Pendragon. My daughter and her friends asked me to assist you."
Natalia wasn't sure how to respond to that. She knew about the mysterious Doctor Albion who appeared at the Clock Tower two years ago with his ward and promptly earned his Doctorate faster than any student on record. He had worked like a man possessed. "It's nice to meet you, Mélusine," Natalia used the Mélusine name since the 'girl' deemed it 'cute', "so you and Doctor Albion are both our allies?"
The girl nodded in agreement. "Yes. You are my daughter's grandmother-in-law." Natalia wasn't exactly sure how to parse that one.
Yu Mei-ren appended to the dragon's odd response. "The moment you took the scabbard Avalon into yourself two years ago at the Einzberns' dig site, a connection to the land of Avalon was briefly opened and spit them both out. They've been working with us ever since. Now that you're 'dead', you'll be working with all of us full-time from now on."
The Count gave a smirk. "That's right! We have so much to do! Relic hunting, investing, and background work...but there's no more need for killing or being targeted! It's time to pick an identity and start your second life! And you happen to be with the two most experienced people on Earth regarding the ins and outs of that!" At his boast, the man grasped the lapels of his jacket with his hands and adjusted it in a prideful gesture.
Natalia tried not to smile, she really did, but the impulse couldn't be resisted fully. Oh, the mood was tempered by how much she knew Kiritsugu must be suffering...but for now? For this moment? It was time to celebrate her survival.
February 1, 1986
Fuyuki Hospital
Fuyuki City, Japan
It had been an interesting few years. Natalia had cut back on the mercenary life, though she took on enough jobs to keep her skills sharp. Her life instead had other priorities. Natalia's Magecraft had grown sharply under Merlin's dream tutelage since her non-human side was first strengthened, though she suspected that Merlin simply wanted a greater bond with his descendant rather than to have a stronger piece on the board. By day, Natalia lived the life of an investor named Natalie Ambrose. Playing the stock market and purchasing land and companies as Merlin instructed led to opportunities. The swamp land she had purchased near Fuyuki City had become valuable when it was partially developed and was soon to be purchased back from her to build the Shinto District, for example. She also dealt heavily in mundane and magical real estate all over Europe. The tech boom of the 1980s was also feeding her many bank accounts to the point where she was in no way lacking funds, even after purchasing assorted items of both technological and magical natures. The skills she'd learned and the college classes taken to accompany her career change were unexpectedly fulfilling since she knew it was for the post-war future.
Speaking of the post-war future, there were two essential duties that she had to perform tonight.
As such, Natalia found herself disguised by Gareth's Ring of Transformation once more. She was dressed as a nurse making the night rounds in Fuyuki Hospital where a certain Mrs. Enjou was recovering from a digestive ailment at the same time one Mrs. Tohsaka was recovering from an appendectomy. Natalia's normal stealth and hypnosis abilities would likely have been enough for this, but this wasn't the time to take unnecessary risks.
Focusing on the sheath inside of her body, Natalia extracted it while using the ring to conceal the resulting motes of light. She took one last look at the gold and blue treasure before placing it atop the sleeping woman and guiding it to fade inside her. Mrs. Enjou's ailment would heal more swiftly than normal, but the scabbard and the shards of Caliburn inside would not bond with her. No, that honor was for the child that would start growing in the patient's womb within the next month. Even a professional killer like Natalia felt a tinge of regret knowing that the innocent woman before her wouldn't live to see 1987. Thankfully, her child would. That was the point of this.
The ex-mercenary silently made her exit after completing her task, going next to a ward where Aoi Tohsaka was in the final stages of recovering from her surgery. She repeated the process and inserted Avalon Nocturne into Aoi. It would not bond with Rin once that pregnancy started, instead merely helping with the pregnancy and optimizing Rin's Magic Circuit development while staying within the bounds of what was human. The Jeweled Cloak of Morgan stored within the scabbard would bond with Rin to a degree, but it was meant only to be delivered to Rin after the Grail War if she truly accepted Sakura as a sister rather than rejecting her. Sakura would be the ultimate custodian of both artifacts until that time.
Natalia then left the hospital before entering an attached parking garage where Yu Mei-ren was waiting in Natalia's gray 1983 Porche 928S. Yu Mei-ren refused to allow the Count of Saint Germain to be anywhere near Shirou until the boy was older and established her intentions quite clearly by leaving the hedonist behind in Europe.
"It's done?" Yu Mei-ren asked Natalia.
"It's done. Both scabbards have been passed on," Natalia confirmed.
"Good. Most people couldn't give up something like that...though I suppose you've already received all the benefits the mission was meant to give you." The Xian observed, glad Natalia hadn't explicitly sought immortality. She'd surely age well if at all, though.
"It's all for Kiritsugu's sake. If that kid can save him where I couldn't, then it's obvious what I should do. With this, maybe I'll get a chance to ask Kiritsugu for his forgiveness someday." Natalia shifted the car into gear and pulled out of the parking garage. They pair rode off into the night, having successfully laid their share of the groundwork for the Fourth Holy Grail War and beyond.
November 23, 1994
Ahnenerbe Restaurant
Fuyuki City
10:19 PM
"I knew I had seen you before. You are my real estate agent and investment banker!" Tokiomi exclaimed, surprising many of the people present.
Natalia took another sip of her protein shake coffee. "Merlin sees using his Clairvoyance to make money and deprive possible enemies of assets as a pastime, I see it as a way to make Kiritsugu's family secure for after the War. He also approved of Rin Tohsaka and Sakura Matou, so managing the Tohsaka family's affairs to keep them from going broke like last time around was also a key concern. I bought up a bunch of the swamp land around Fuyuki City when it was worthless, started developing it until it could be built on, and sold it back to the city for a huge profit when they voted to make the new section of Fuyuki. That was before the real estate bubble burst. Now? I might just buy it back, ask Archer to help clean up Caster's pollution with Rule Breaker, and let Shirou or Sakura keep it as a Workshop or something. The kids will need leylines of their own sooner or later to tinker with. It's not like the Grail will be around after this War to tap into them. I won't let the Clock Tower have a say in that."
The statement that she had every intention of seeing the Fuyuki Grail being dismantled or destroyed regardless of the Clock Tower's wishes was a surprising one, but it was understandable. Waver Velvet tried to distract himself from that admission by asking more questions. "J-just how much money do you have?"
The mercenary-turned-investor took another sip of her coffee and gave a cold smile. "Enough to make the Edelfelts take notice. The big money comes from tech investment and real estate. You wouldn't believe how many mages were displaced or died out during the World Wars and the spread of Communism because of the aggressors' intentions to hunt down old nobility and wealth. Europe, Korea, China, Japan...all had territories worth buying up and reselling or renting to the right owner." Natalia stirred her coffee a bit with her spoon as she told the story. "I sold a lot of my more mundane holdings at the height of the market. Then, when the Recession of 1987 rolled around and prices tanked, there weren't many Mage families left in the Soviet Bloc to buy back the leyline-attached lands in those places and I directed my attention there. When the governments started trying to sell off land to get the money they desperately needed, it should have been an irresistible deal to Mages looking to relocate to a new place or return to the homes they had fled from if they were still alive...but everyone was scared of the Soviets seizing the land again as soon as the recession was over."
"But you weren't," Tokiomi realized. "You foresaw the collapse of the Soviet Union thanks to Merlin's Clairvoyance and bought up that precious land without concern."
Natalia smirked. "Some was bought. A lot of the land that was away in public holdings or in the hands of corrupt officials was obtained through...other means. Navigating the systems of a dying communist government that largely restricts Magecraft isn't difficult, especially when you have a Clairvoyant helping guide you. Various holdings in Finland and Zouken Matou's ancestral lands in Ukraine are good examples of that. I've held onto them for seven years just in case Tokiomi felt like being petty when the time came." The casual admission of wide-scale theft surprised a few, but went over the heads of the children and was simply par for the course for those familiar with Magus history. If the Soviets stole the land from the magical community and possibly killed the land owners in their various revolutions, it was fine to steal it back. Irisviel even realized that in the 'original' history, the Soviets never ruled the whole of Finland to begin with. Tokiomi, meanwhile, was smiling at the thought of owning that old Zolgen territory in Ukraine.
"In any case...the kids will never want for money. We've made sure of that." Natalia looked back to the man who was essentially her adopted son. "Sorry I haven't been around, Kiritsugu, but I never stopped trying to support you. You just couldn't be allowed to see it until now without my risking you going off-script. I'm not sure if you'll still want me around after all of this, but I want to be."
With Natalia's story concluded, Kiritsugu gave a sigh of relief and a light nod. The small smile was also a good sign. "Thank you, Natalia...and don't worry. Judging from the looks my wife and daughter are giving you, you couldn't escape this family if you tried."
Irisviel couldn't help but giggle. "He's right, you know! I've never had a mother before, and Illya has already claimed you as a grandmother!"
Illyasviel did indeed have an excited expression. She may have some memories of her older self, but she was still an impressionable 9-year-old. "Yes! You're Papa's mama and you tricked Grandfather! We're keeping you! Your hair color even matches!" Irisviel found that to be an amusing observation. She, Illyasviel, Gray, Archer, and now Mélusine and Natalia all had white or extremely light hair.
With that, Natalia's part in this matter seemed to be concluded. She was fully accepted into the family. Still...there were questions left in the minds of the others. Waver, in particular, felt the need to voice one. "So...we have a literal Dragon here claiming that some of the kids are her family members and making Artoria call her 'mother'. How did that happen?"
"Yeah, a dragon? That's pretty extreme, even for you Mage people. How can a Dragon have a human family?" Taiga asked. She appeared skeptical of this explanation.
Before anyone could stop her, Mélusine answered. "Artoria and these two have inherited my heart. They are my kin."
"You mean...those two have Magic Cores like King Artoria does?" Waver inquired in an attempt to confirm.
"Nnn," Mélusine responded with a nod, clearly not really one to care for secrecy unless absolutely necessary. "Artoria's is made from me. These two's are made from her. All three are my kin."
Artoria hesitated for several moments but ultimately began to explain when Tokiomi started giving her critical looks. "I did not know until after Shirou lost consciousness at the Fuyuki Church that Merlin had performed the procedure on him. Merlin concealed the Core behind an illusion for as long as it was inactive. He did something similar for me in my youth to protect me from detection until I was old enough to defend myself. As for Gray...that is due to the actions of my sister, Morgan le Fay, and it only manifested partway through the War. I did not know of it until after we had all moved to the Emiya residence after recovering Shirou from Mordred."
Doctor Albion decided to speak up at this point, noting the stares that Mélusine and the kids were receiving. "Well, I suppose it's my turn to tell a story since Mélusine is more interested in the children and her third milkshake than answering questions. Let me tell you the story of how I was thrown into Avalon from the future and accidentally defaced Albion's skeleton on the way down."
Waver's eyes widened as he stood ramrod straight from his table, almost knocking over his tea. "You did what?!"
August 16, 1997
Spiritual Tomb of Albion
London, Britannia
7:38 PM
Falling. That was what Kurou Adashino had been doing for the past 15 minutes as the presence of prana around him grew with the depth of his descent. Betrayed by his envious peers and thrown into a hole from the 10-kilometer-underground city of Magisfair into the depths of the Spiritual Tomb of Albion, the prodigy Magus found himself progressing toward depths uncharted by man. That he could now see the skull of the massive dragon that had perished digging through this area proved that he was fast approaching 60 kilometers in depth. The betrayed student narrowly managed to reinforce himself and his breathing filter in hopes of surviving, even knowing that failure would cause more harm than good. That was simply the weight of his desperation. In most Worldlines, he would fall past the skull closely without any fanfare. In this one, however, his desperate eye spied a gleaming handhold.
Even at terminal velocity, Kurou took the risk and grabbed the handle of an abandoned sword sticking out of the dragon's neck in hopes of stopping his fall. The pain in his wrist and arm was intense, his Reinforcement barely holding his arm together. The anti-dragon properties of the blade merged with the sheer amount of downward force to cleave through the weakened neck of Albion the remainder of the way instead of stopping Kurou's fall.
Arondight had finally been used to finish Lancelot's mission from centuries before.
A skeletal roar and a solid crack that came more from the dragon's bones than his own signified the beginning of the skull's uncontrolled tumble down the hole. Only the fact he was already moving when the skull started its fall kept him ahead of the increasingly violent shockwave of bone and rock, several other magical beasts getting caught up in the collapse and roaring inhuman protests that were quickly drowned out. He completely ignored the sword in his hand due to his fear.
After 6 minutes of nervously waiting for the chaos behind him to catch up his falling body and tear him apart, Kurou fell through the bony claws of the left hand of the dragon and into a hole 80 kilometers meters down. Past this hole, however...was an open sky and fading evening sunlight. He marveled at the open air, already holding large amounts of prana that only increased as he fell deeper through the Texture toward the Reverse Side of the World. He had entered the Fairylands. A loud crash above him coaxed Kurou to look over his shoulder in horror...at which point he saw that the skull had smashed through the boundary as well. The left hand of the dragon had joined the free fall too. Kurou wondered if the people who tossed him in were going to blame him for this...would the Clock Tower lose its magical energy with Albion's skull gone? Even now, its glowing yellow eye sockets revealed that the soul of the creature was here rather than remaining above.
Kurou acted as best he could, using his Wind Magecraft to shift his trajectory a bit and move to the side...even willing himself to float a bit so that the rock and bones would pass him by. He could swear that the glow of the dragon's eyes tracked him as he got behind the wave of destruction. The falling magus ultimately moved behind the mess instead of alongside it, not wanting caught up in it by accident.
After that, night slowly descended as he fell for another hour and forty minutes. He checked his watch, which thankfully had a blue light that came on when he pressed a button. It was 9:33 PM. He estimated that he'd reach the surface in two minutes, though the only clue was the surface of the water below reflecting the moon and starlight. Some quick mental math indicated that he was 400 kilometers under the surface of the Earth given the terminal velocity of a human body. He would have to be careful and remember all of this when he took notes later because he was about to see just how close Jules Verne's estimates regarding the Reverse Side's structure were.
At the time he was about to start slowing his descent, a massive whirlpool opened up in the water underneath them as if by design. The churning water sucked in the air and forced him and the bones to continue their descent, plunging them past this layer of the Reverse Side and into the next. This process repeated itself well into the night, the man ultimately finding himself in almost pitch darkness and falling asleep from the continued, constant strain...
Unknown Date
Somewhere in the Reverse Side of the World
Kurou woke up with a start before taking note of his situation. The sun had long since risen and the magical energy density in the air was utterly massive, clearly lethal to breathe...except within a five-meter radius of his person. There was a Bounded Field shielding him from that lethal amount of prana, which was a good thing because his breathing filter was gone. This thought was chased away, however, when he perceived a nearby woman in blue whose dress was overlaid with the armor of a Knight. Blonde hair and green eyes completed the image that every Briton and Clock Tower Magus learned of from their youth.
"...Y-you are...King Artoria Pendragon?" He asked in utter surprise.
"Yes, and you are Kurou Adashino, whose fall to these lands was predicted by Merlin. I managed to catch you before you struck the ground. We then barely had time to create this Bounded Field before your breathing device failed. It appears that your prana filtration equipment was not meant to endure the conditions of Avalon. You have been here for merely five minutes." Artoria's words made Kurou's eyes widen in realization. He checked his watch...9:10 AM. Prana density aside, the air density seemed similar to the surface in spite of the depth. Terminal velocity was likely still roughly 200 kilometers per hour. After 13.5 hours or so, some rough mental math placed him about 2700 kilometers underground.
Right where Avalon was said to be.
A beautiful, platinum-blonde woman dressed in black approached at this point. Her face was much like that of Artoria, though she had ice-blue eyes rather than green. "Worry not. You will ultimately return, though I must warn you that it will not be as you were or at exactly the same time and place. Even now, your hair has turned red from the excessive magical energy in the air being absorbed into your skin. Taking a breath of the air outside this Bounded Field would cause you to violently explode."
"Morgan," Artoria commented carefully, "telling someone not to worry in an attempt to ease their mind is meaningless when immediately followed with a detailed description of their possible demise, is it not?"
The newcomer, who Kurou now knew was Morgan le Fay, seemed ever so slightly sheepish at the gently given criticism. "I am...unaccustomed to treating this as a matter of medicine rather than research. It was merely my intention to convey the importance of staying in the Bounded Field for the moment." The ancient witch then walked around Kurou, inspecting his frame with her eyes. He was unsure what she was doing but remained tense and silent until she was done. She then looked into his eyes, as if judging something, before coming to a conclusion. "It is as I expected. I can simply improve his body to a more robust standard. That is what I meant by not being 'the same'. A modified body more contemporary to the Age of Gods, or at least similar to a homunculus in our home era, is possible. His Mystic Eyes will also be enhanced."
"Is it invasive?" Artoria inquired.
"To a degree. Were this the world above, we would need a fortnight for both the procedure and his recovery. Down here, I can accomplish it within a day." Morgan's response was a bit alarming, so Kurou spoke up.
"I would like to thank your respective Majesties for your assistance thus far. Just to verify though...if I am not altered, I'll die if I leave this spot? It's that serious?" Kurou asked the two women while attempting to remain polite.
Morgan responded promptly enough. "Yes. Even if we extracted you from Avalon without additional exposure right now, you have already absorbed too much energy from the depths of the Reverse Side through your skin and eyes. You would perish within days if untreated. You would not have been so thoroughly saturated had we left you on the first layer of the Reverse Side, but then you would have been found by Fairies who would have torn out your heart and set you on a path of self-destruction. You would have died in early 2004 as 'Doctor Heartless', trying to destroy the Age of Man. You would be modified either way...but this way you can remain 'yourself' in mind."
The castaway was horrified. His own father had also fallen into the Fairylands and returned greatly changed, abandoning Kurou and his mother immediately after as a result. Morgan's words were in no way implausible. Fairies could readily bewitch or distort a person. "And after altering me, what next? You'd simply send me back?" Kurou inquired of the two, who then looked at each other.
Artoria spoke again. "My apologies, but it is not that simple. Merlin claims that these events and what comes after are pre-ordained. He is trapped in that tower and cannot convey this information himself unless you are in a dream state," the Once and Future King gestured towards the Tower of Avalon, "so we will explain as best we can with what limited information we have been given. You have been brought to a point in what you know as the past. Upon returning to the world above, you ultimately adopt the identity of someone you already know. A man using the pseudonym of 'Doctor Albion'."
Kurou's eyes widened as the pieces fit together. He was his own teacher. It wasn't as if Kurou had lacked suspicions before. They had the same face, albeit matured, to where Kurou wondered if the doctor had been one of his absent father's relatives. Doctor Albion also knew exactly how to teach him for optimum effect. Kurou had even heard that the knowledge transfer between the Head of the Department of Modern Magecraft and himself was described as 'like pouring water from one glass to another' because of how efficient it was.
Morgan interjected. "Merlin also said you were supposed to do some groundwork on the surface at his direction. Between his Clairvoyance and your abilities, getting you into the Clock Tower and navigating the political landscape wouldn't be difficult. That influence and educational ability would be needed for Artoria and her allies down the line."
Artoria seemed slightly displeased. "Is this truly necessary? It feels as though we are holding this man's well-being hostage."
Morgan glanced toward her sister. "We know the alternative, Artoria. Given the extension to his life span, it will even be a net gain for him. Besides, you are his King. Is it not his duty to aid you in our plans?"
Kurou was getting a bit irritated having his future decided for him, but pushed that down. He did owe these ladies, and one was indeed his King as well. "Maybe I should...just set up recording devices and expel my 'future' students for their crimes next time around instead of being hasty," Kurou speculated. "What sort of plans were you intending?"
Artoria glanced at Kurou in contemplation for a moment before speaking. "The first decade of the coming century will not pass before I have returned to rule Britannia once more." The man tensed at the revelation. He knew that British rule was based on a regency that was tied to King Artoria and managed through King Gawain's heirs. If Artoria returned, as the legend said, that would certainly change things. "I am aware of the corruption of the Mage's Association. I know that it is guided by pragmatism and secrecy more than basic human decency. They are not all evil, perhaps not even most of them, but the very culture and upbringing can be quite sociopathic in nature. I will need to correct such matters when I am King once more, which will be aided by having people on the inside lending their support. The Department of Modern Magecraft will be an ideal place to start. It attracts those who are open-minded and willing to explore new concepts rather than those who would seek being trapped in the limitations of tradition."
"You want me to change the Department of Modern Magecraft from the inside?" Kurou inquired.
"We want you to make connections, subtly change what you can, and start working in earnest after the closure of this time loop," Morgan le Fay interjected once more. "Keep in mind that you are not able to change what your younger self has already observed, at least not until August 16, 1997, when your past self falls into the Spiritual Tomb of Albion to complete the cycle. Merlin will guide you on the details. Your Mystic Eyes might be used for a few things as well. You will also have to adopt someone."
"Adopt someone? Who might that be?" Kurou inquired.
"You will soon find out," Morgan gave a small smile as another woman approached. The witch looked at the newcomer. "Vivian, how are things proceeding?"
The approaching woman was, like Morgan, an ethereal beauty with pale skin and light hair. They could have passed for sisters. Her attire, however, was white with blue accents. Her name revealed her to be the Lady of the Lake. "They are going smoothly. I need only adjust and add the final pieces." Vivian smiled as the sword Arondight was handed to her by Morgan. The Lady of the Lake then looked towards Kurou. "Thank you for completing Lancelot's final mission, young man. He was supposed to cut off Albion's head so she might fall down here to be saved, but it was not yet time."
Kurou gawked as he realized that he had used a Noble Phantasm to cut off a dragon's head. How many could make that claim? He quickly reclaimed his poise, however. "I was merely trying to survive, Lady Vivian. I am pleased to have been able to complete your son's mission, though."
Vivian smiled and, with this brief conversation concluded, walked back to where the dragon's skull and left hand rested. They were massive, a crater they had created on impact already filling with water almost to the height of the skull's eye sockets. The water was clean and clear, readily responding to Vivian as she held Arondight pointed downward and lowered the blade into the water. She also called forth a copy of Rhongomyniad in her other hand and did the same with it. The water glowed with energy, Vivian using her power to heal the dragon.
Morgan spoke, explaining what was occurring "It is finally happening...the Dragon of Albion, with the manipulations of Merlin, has landed in Avalon where it may be restored. But with this damage, it must be reborn rather than simply heal." As if to emphasize this, the bones started to visibly melt into the water. Any curses were dissolved and purged, leaving only the essence of the Dragon itself and the power from Arondight that had seeped in over the centuries. This essence condensed further and further, forming a blinding light that ultimately took on a roughly human shape. When the light faded, a young girl floated in its place on the water's surface. Golden eyes and white hair matched well with her pale skin, but the white reptilian wings from her back and the slender, straight horns emerging upward from her forehead hinted at her true nature. She was clearly surprised, looking over her body even as Vivian willed the water to float her to shore and onto land.
"I...am...alive once more. I have arrived at my destination." The creature observed with a tone of relief and peace, looking over her own restored body. Nothing preserved the Dragon Fairy's decency until Vivian conjured up a simple white outfit made of thin fabric, but Kurou's wide eyes held no thoughts of a carnal nature. He was focused on the fact that he was seeing something most Mages would literally kill to observe. The resurrection and transfiguration of the Dragon of Albion.
"That is right, Albion. You have arrived in Avalon and been reborn as a Dragon Fairy, as predicted many centuries ago. You may transform into your Dragon form freely, but this form is ideal for interacting with the Fey and humanity." Vivian's explanation made her tilt her head.
"Why?" Albion asked, a bit confused. "I am finally here. Why would I be anything less than a Dragon? Why return to humanity or interact with the weak?" This was not said with pride or arrogance any more than a human would have pride over being stronger than a fly. She simply accepted it as the way of things.
Morgan le Fay stepped forward at this time, Artoria walking alongside as the elder sister spoke. "Because, Albion, your body was used by Merlin in an effort to give your essence to others and allow your race to survive in some form. The result was humans that bear the heart of a Dragon and can thus use their powers. Incredibly young compared to you, but your kin nonetheless. The firstborn stands by my side, awaiting the day for her return to the world above to rule over her humans, while two others will be found on the surface after they finally hatch. You are needed to protect them."
"...I have hatchlings?" Albion said in surprise. She stood and walked over to Artoria on somewhat clumsy legs. This did not stop her from walking around Artoria and scrutinizing her. Golden eyes analyzed her intently. In time, those eyes widened as she recognized the energy coming off of Artoria as being descended from her own. "I-it is true! You're one of mine!"
"Greetings, Lady Albion. I am Artoria Pendragon. It is nice to finally meet you." Artoria greeted the dragon with politeness and a smile.
"...Mother." Albion's utterance was clearly not an expected response.
"Excuse me?" Artoria asked in light confusion.
"You will call me mother," Albion clarified while staring into Artoria's eyes intensely. The King of Knights froze up a bit.
Morgan gave a little smile of amusement. "Why not, Artoria? She is indeed your progenitor, and it is not as if you had a relationship with our human mother. Albion would be the first mother you've ever truly known." Artoria gave Morgan a light glare, everyone but Albion seemingly aware that the elder sister was teasing the younger.
When looking back to Albion, Artoria noticed that the stare had intensified with expectation...and something instinctive in Artoria's being felt the urge to comply with the 4.6 billion-year-old 'girl'. "M...mother," Artoria greeted, earning a gentle smile from Albion. The girl embraced Artoria with both her arms and her wings, allowing the instincts of this new humanoid body to aid her in forming expressions and connections.
Vivian smiled at the display. "Yes...it is these hatchlings we want to give the best possible life. Artoria very nearly died once already, and one of the other hatchlings died saving her and has to be hatched all over again. We were hoping to have your help setting things up for them."
Albion didn't seem to like the thought of her 'hatchlings' being in danger, especially after just meeting one. Her thoughts also seemed a bit simplistic...or perhaps animalistic was a better term. Kurou doubted that she was unintelligent. She was clearly contemplating the matter deeply. "Will I be able to come and go freely between the World and the Reverse Side? I don't want to be trapped again."
Vivian nodded. "Yes. I have replicated the attributes of the sword Arondight into you, mitigating your weakness to it and even allowing you to manifest similar blades from your own body. Artoria will give you Knightly training to learn how to use your new power. I also included a Rhongomyniad-based anchor, which serves to link you to the Reverse Side and feeds you power even while in the World above. We have become skilled in making such things as of late. It also allows you to enter and exit the Fairylands and Avalon more freely from various entrances. You no longer need to fear being trapped in either Side of the World." These words seemed to bring Albion a notable measure of relief. Vivian smiled at the newest and strongest Fairy before continuing. "When you do go above, however, calling yourself just Albion might draw a panic. How about...Mélusine? That can be your second name! Mélusine Albion would also work. Most humans have family names now. We intend to have the man there who will be working with you use Albion as a family name as well. He would pose as a human family member for you while assisting your children."
Kurou didn't know why Lady Vivian thought that a French, dragon-winged woman who was cursed to wear the lower body of a snake every Saturday was a good inspiration for the name, but the dragon girl seemed to accept it without protest. She then looked in his direction and regarded him with a critical eye. Understandable, since he had just finished cutting off her head. Still, she didn't seem to hold it against him in the end.
"...for that one moment, he was strong enough to bring me to Avalon. He also broke himself doing so. Make him stay strong again and I will adopt him too." It seemed that she had heard what was being discussed before about Kurou being enhanced. Still, was he really to be the child of a girl who looked so young? On second thought...perhaps it would still work. There were those in the Clock Tower who seemed to carry eternal youth, and she certainly wouldn't age in the future.
Morgan smiled in a manner that made Kurou nervous. "You want him to be strong, hmm? You know...there is a precedent that a human bathing in and drinking a bit of dragon's blood would obtain similar properties to your descendants. It happened to Fafnir's slayer Siegfried, and it would be simpler than what I had in mind. I would need your assistance, though..."
November 23, 1994
Ahnenerbe Restaurant
Fuyuki City
10:31 PM
Irisviel blinked as realization dawned. "You too, then?" she asked the Head of the Department of Modern Magecraft.
Doctor Albion smiled. "I received results similar to what Siegfried obtained. Bathing in the blood gave me increased resilience, though it was more magical than physical due to the fact it was a different dragon. I was still able to survive in Avalon with it. Drinking a few drops of Mélusine's blood transformed my heart into a Magic Core—though it's probably not of the same rank as one who was born with a Magic Core in the first place like Artoria and the children. I think Morgan called my Magic Core a 'C-Rank' one, but it still beats most Magic Circuits. It was a big change, but having my heart transformed is certainly preferable to having it ripped out of my chest as my future might otherwise have held. In addition, my original Mystic Eyes of Finding developed one step further into Mystic Eyes of Clairvoyance. I'm reasonably certain that data was used by Merlin and Lady Morgan to enhance Shirou and Sakura's eyes respectively. I was adopted by Mélusine at the conclusion of the ritual, though convincing her to let me call her anything but 'mother' in public was difficult. She demands regular affection like a cat and is equally willing to destroy whatever is distracting me if I don't properly manage my time. Consider that fair warning to you now that she has claimed Shirou and Gray as her own."
Taiga looked at Waver and asked a question. "Are these 'Magic Cores' common? There are like five of them here, right? Six if Lancer has one?"
Waver looked towards Taiga, trying to parse the ridiculousness of what he was learning into something a mundane person could understand. "...I could call it the magical equivalent to a nuclear reactor, except no one in the world is supposed to how to build one. They sometimes appear when someone kills a dragon, but there haven't been any dragons on the surface of the planet for a thousand years. They all went where Doctor Albion and Mélusine went. For so many Magic Core bearers to exist in the modern day? Many Mages would do virtually anything to get a hold of just one. Anybody here who has one might be imprisoned for life if the Clock Tower found out. Unless they had some political support, that is..."
Irisviel wondered what a nuclear reactor was, and Iskandar also seemed interested given the tone in which he asked the Count of Saint Germain about it. The Count's response made the man's eyes widen and his grin swell with excitement. Iskandar's response about 'explosions being a man's romance' made Waver's expression immediately turn apprehensive.
Mélusine's eyes shifted to regard Waver. "I will be protecting and training the hatchlings to make sure they can protect themselves from any threat humanity might pose. If I have to, I will just destroy the anthill that the parasites have built on top of my grave." A collective shudder went down most peoples' backs at the casual mention of destroying the Clock Tower and everyone inside.
"Now, Mother, you like some things about the Clock Tower, don't you?" Doctor Albion inquired of the ancient being. "Some of my students regularly give you candy, and you enjoy sleeping amongst the plants in the Department of Botany..."
"And that's why I haven't done it yet. That and the fact they'll be Artoria's people later." Mélusine answered.
Doctor Albion sighed. "Right...getting back on topic. Both of us received extra magical training from Lady Vivian and Lady Morgan. Mélusine also received Knightly training from Artoria and more firearms training than perhaps mentally healthy from Sir Francis Drake." Doctor Albion paused to eye the massive Gatling gun stowed away under the Emiya-Einzbern table before continuing. "We then returned to the world and emerged at Glastonbury Tor on February 26, 1980. That's the exact date that Natalia partially reactivated the scabbard and made a stronger link between the World and the Reverse Side. I immediately obtained new identities for us and started attending the Clock Tower as Kurou Albion to try and build my reputation and political connections. We'd both do missions for Merlin now and then as well. You know, 'grab this missing magical tome or item', 'prevent John Lennon's assassination', 'support this person or political action', that sort of thing."
Kiritsugu found that one of those things didn't belong. "John Lennon...from the Beatles?"
"Vivian's a fan," Doctor Albion explained.
"Fair enough," Kiritsugu replied.
"So here we are, in 1994, with me as the Head of the Department of Modern Magecraft and working to build connections that can be useful later. On paper, I'm here to aid the El-Melloi family in their logistics and Marisbury Animusphere in data acquisition about the Grail War. Natalia and Mélusine are here to help maintain the secrecy of the War. Naturally, I'll conceal everything I reasonably can...though Shirou using his Servant's Noble Phantasms and Rider recognizing her Master from another summoning might not be something we can hide. Zouken Matou is surely aware of what Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald experienced."
"Speaking of that," Tokiomi spoke up, "are we going to talk about how Shirou is able to make powerful artifacts to serve as Catalysts? Or how he conjured a shield called Rho Aias in the recent battle?"
"You...noticed that? I thought you assumed that to be a function of Prydwen." Irisviel nervously asked Tokiomi.
The Tohsaka patriarch crossed his arms. "I wasn't about to say it where Zouken Matou's Crest Worms could hear, but I have my suspicions. His healing abilities were presented to me as an aspect of Caliburn, but I suspect that to have been a lie. Shirou isn't limited to creating living tissue. Between making gemstones that do not deteriorate, offering to restore my damaged house, replenishing Hydra Meat and other ingredients on his own without adequate explanation, mentioning the ability to duplicate fine wine to Gilgamesh, and the creation of Noble Phantasms like the catalyst for Second Rider that my daughter received from him and now the spear Lady Yu is holding...I'm starting to wonder if Shirou's abilities exceed the definition of 'Magecraft' and enter into the realm of a certain Sorcery."
Waver's eyes widened. "Mister Tohsaka...are you actually suggesting that Shirou has the First True Magic?"
"Very good, Tokiomi!" The group was interrupted by a tall man with gray hair and a black cape who was standing next to a modestly dressed woman with black hair. Rather than walking into the room, they were simply...there all of a sudden. Irisviel didn't know the woman, but she did recognize the man immediately from the memories she had inherited from Justeaze Lizrich von Einzbern.
"I was wondering when you would notice that detail, but you picked up on more of the clues than I thought. Ah, for anyone who isn't aware, I am Kishur Zelretch Schweinorg, bearer of the Second True Magic and the teacher of the Tohsaka family. This is Aoi Tohsaka, the wife of the Tohsaka family. I brought her here for—" Aoi didn't wait for introductions to end before rushing over to Sakura and embracing her, sobbing gently. "...her own safety due to the conflict's escalation. We have both been listening since your arrival. Needless to say, Mrs. Tohsaka has also been briefed on Sakura's situation."
"I'm sorry, Sakura. I'm so sorry..." Aoi held her daughter for the first time in a year, wishing more than ever that she had never abided by her husband's decision to send her away. Tokiomi was remorseful and sheepish.
Sakura returned the hug with her own, clinging desperately. "Mama! I-I know you didn't know. You don't need to be sorry. Just...don't throw me away again?"
"Never...never again..." Aoi managed to sob, comforted by her rescued daughter.
"That's right. Never again," Tokiomi confirmed. This was said as much for his wife as his children. Those present gave Aoi as long as she needed to calm down, only after which did Tokiomi elect to engage in formalities. "Master Zelretch..." Tokiomi said as he stood from his seat and gave a bow. "The Tohsaka family's current and next generations greet the Great Master." Rin quickly stood and mirrored her father's action, if a bit more clumsily. Sakura was exempted, being hugged by her relieved mother.
"You were just waiting to appear, weren't you? You're just like the Count sometimes." Yu Mei-ren ruined the moment by commenting, but at least she could somewhat respect this man's power for defeating the Crimson Moon.
"Zel! Nice of you to join us!" said Count exclaimed with happiness. Waver was gawking at the audacity of this man to call the Second Magician something as informal as 'Zel'.
Rin was similarly aghast, though Sakura seemed completely ignorant. "Is he another uncle?" a confused Sakura finally asked, only now getting up from her seat like her father and sister once her mother released her.
Zelretch gave a grin. "Honestly? I'm more like a Grandpa. I'm the one who taught your ancestor Nagato about Jewel Magecraft and helped him get your family line started."
"Really?" Sakura asked, not too aware of her family history, but still happy to meet someone. "Okay! Nice to meet you, Grandpa Zelretch!" The girl smiled, earning a fond expression from the ancient man as well.
"It's nice to meet you too, Sakura," Zelretch said gently to Sakura before next looking to everyone in the room, "to meet all of you. I came here to state, under my authority and expertise as the Wizard Marshall of the Clock Tower and as the Second Magician, that Shirou's power is the very same as that held by my friend Yumina. Shirou Emiya is formally recognized as her successor in the First True Magic, and inherits the title of First Magician." The room was drop-dead silent with this declaration, so Zelretch continued. "I also formally order that the facts of the matter be held to the highest level of secrecy for as long as possible. The Clock Tower would immediately move to indoctrinate and exploit the child if they knew the truth. Even the Barthomeloi family, who consider Yumina worthy of their respect, would likely be overzealous in their efforts to protect and train him to their own standards of 'perfection' from a dangerously young age. It is only because of very careful planning that the boy wasn't distorted by Alaya into incompatibility with the power before he could awaken it."
"The Fuyuki Fire," Kiritsugu uttered in grief.
"That's right," Zelretch confirmed. "In most timelines, Shirou's soul suffers extensive damage that Alaya uses to seal away his ability. With Merlin's rather...overengineered solution to shield his soul and keep him safe this time around, Alaya can't damage his soul or even cause him lasting harm as easily."
"Wait, how did he manage that? There isn't exactly much that can hide a person from Alaya or Gaia in the long term," Waver inquired in mild surprise.
Zelretch gave a light sigh. "Doctor Albion. Prepare to teach a lesson on Avalon-based soul integration, Reality Marble anchoring, and the other relevancies. EMIYA, make copies of Merlin's whiteboards from the Copenhagen to assist him. This might take a while." Zelretch went behind the counter, unlocked the liquor cabinet, and started to pour out some red wine. Irisviel noticed that Shirou paid close attention to this process, carefully analyzing it with his Mystic Eyes. If Irisviel had to guess, it was because Gilgamesh had complained about the lack of wine with his meal before...
November 24, 1994
Ahnenerbe Restaurant
Fuyuki City
12:19 AM
Irisviel noted that Waver had been gawking for the past hour. It wasn't necessarily a lack of comprehension of what had been presented by Doctor Albion, but rather that he understood better than most just how mind-blowing it all was. "So Merlin restored the First Magician, made him functionally immortal, anchored his soul to the Reverse Side in the form of a Reality Marble-turned-Texture, and gave him a Magic Core? Was something that extreme really necessary?" Waver exclaimed.
Zelretch glanced at Waver with a serious expression. "Given that Merlin's efforts to prevent the corruption of the Grail during the Third Holy Grail War were undone by Alaya's direct intervention to try and force Shirou to be harmed? And the fact that Shirou was attacked by Caster's Master and his blood was used to summon Caster based on Alaya's manipulations? Yes. It was most certainly necessary and has already protected him. Even Caster's recent actions mirrored and exceeded the Fuyuki Fire in location and scope. You see, Alaya is extremely greedy when it comes to harming Shirou Emiya in November 1994. It takes a True Magic out of play while also giving her a very powerful resource in certain cases. Though not the strongest, he becomes one of the most versatile Counter Guardians to exist because of his ability to replicate Noble Phantasms. Between Alaya's meddling, the people these kids are likely to encounter, and the idiocy found in certain circles of Moonlit society, they will need support and power simply to live without having to compromise on their values."
Zelretch smiled as he glanced toward Shirou. "Given the threats they might face, it's a good thing that training in his Texture would make Shirou and the people he likes gradually improve in almost every way. The kids need only put forth the effort and their abilities and intelligence will increase in turn. Learning classwork and Magecraft in there is a very good idea, and any damage from accidents or combat can be easily undone. Shirou's inner world can also be readily accessed through this restaurant, though we'll have to talk about who can get inside later."
"R-really?" Shirou asked, surprised by this. Yu Mei-ren also seemed to take notice of this detail, now having a way to easily access her new living space.
"Yes," Zelretch said with a grin, "your inner world is a perfect place for improving your collective skills, though the benefits can be restricted to those you like. It is even possible to change how the rules of your inner world work if you wanted to go that far and learned enough. You already did that to the rules of that other Texture when you absorbed it into your own."
The children excitedly accepted this at face value, especially Rin, but Irisviel was briefly skeptical of Zelretch's words until she thought about it more deeply. She knew that Textures were influenced by the collective beliefs of their occupants, a fact that had been used to manipulate and preserve the Wandering Sea for almost 2000 years by limiting occupancy to those whose beliefs would help sustain it. On a wider scale, the belief in science and the rise of the Age of Man had influenced the World in a similar manner to diminish Magecraft. Belief was a key factor in how reality worked. Reality Marbles were essentially temporary Textures forged by a single soul and that person's set of beliefs rather than a collective population, Shirou's being the exception mainly because it was no longer temporary and had adopted some of the rules from the land of Avalon as a reference.
Didn't this mean that Shirou's beliefs directly influenced the way his Reality Marble worked? If Zelretch fully convinced Shirou that his upgraded Reality Marble worked a certain way, then Shirou would subconsciously change the Reality Marble to obey the new rules. This was made even more likely by the fact that Shirou's Reality Marble was designed to absorb external data—like Noble Phantasms—and integrate that information into itself to begin with. Yet another aspect of Shirou's Reality Marble was that it was given the concept of 'utopia' by Avalon...and utopia was a world modeled after an 'ideal'. Shirou's ideal.
Before Irisviel could ponder the implications of a Programmable Reality Marble more deeply, the door chimed once more as it opened. Gilgamesh confidently strode into the restaurant with a large smirk on his face. He addressed those assembled as if he had called this meeting himself. "I have distracted myself with sparring and have thus given you enough time to get through your prattle. I trust that your ignorance is dispelled as much as possible and that you are all ready for matters of true import."
As he said this, others whose bodies practically radiated power also entered the establishment. A second EMIYA stayed outside the door and didn't enter the building, keeping away from the EMIYA from the outside World. That and the Rinfaces were clues to Irisviel as to where this group had come from, but why was Gilgamesh with the occupants of Shirou's Reality Marble?
Once they had all entered and the door was closed behind them, Gilgamesh smirked in amusement as he saw Shirou present and in Mélusine's arms. "You see, Ereshkigal? My cook simply woke up and his consciousness returned to his body. You will have to expect that from now on."
"Wait...did you say 'Ereshkigal'?" Tokiomi uttered in confusion on seeing two doppelgangers for his elder daughter.
"Fou! FOOOOOU!" The creature in Shirou's lap saw who Irisviel suspected to be Merlin and bounded onto the table. He then used the tabletop as a springboard to launch himself. The small juvenile Beast corkscrewed impressively through the air, his small paw smashing into Merlin's cheek and launching him back out the door of the restaurant and into the street with the abrupt chiming of the door's bell. Silence reigned for several moments before Gilgamesh, Zelretch, Doctor Albion, Iskandar, and the Count of Saint Germain all started laughing like madmen.
Irisviel got the distinct impression that this was the reason the little creature was let into the restaurant.
Author's Note: First, I know the normal Ahnenerbe is a coffee shop. This one has been expanded compared to a canon one largely because Zeretch expects EMIYA and Shirou to be cooking here quite regularly in time. Second, Mélusine may not be a perfect match for her canon self but her origin is radically different in this story and that means differences exist. I am trying to take that into account. Thanks for reading this absolutely massive chapter.
WEAPON DATA:
Name: Ring of Metamorphosis
Owner: Gareth, Francois Prelati, Natalia Kaminski
Type: Anti-Unit (Self)
Rank: D
Range: N/A
Maximum number of targets: Self
This diamond ring was given to Sir Gareth of the Round Table by Lady Lyonesse to assist the former in concealing her identity from her fellow Knights. It allowed Gareth to participate in jousts with anonymity and to sow confusion on the battlefield against her enemies. Though beneficial to her, the ring did once place Gareth in a situation where she had to battle with her brother Gawain one-on-one. As Gawain could not identify his sister, he fought her without restraint for two hours before Gareth finally stood victorious.
Gareth would later attend the scheduled execution of Queen Guinevere by the order of her King but wear no weapons or armor out of protest. She was thus not wearing the ring when she was killed by a maddened Lancelot. Merlin would later use it in his research to create Invisible Air for Artoria. The ring would be lost before the reconsolidation of Artorian artifacts by Gawain after the Battle of Camlann, instead passing through the hands of Francois Prelati at some point to form the basis of his illusion Magecraft and eventually finding its way into the hands of a Magus family researching its optical properties. Merlin's manipulations eventually delivered it into the hands of the mercenary Natalia Kaminski in early 1980.
Though not powerful enough to conceal the appearance of its user through invisibility like Carnwennan, it is capable of changing the wavelengths of light emitted or reflected by the wearer. It can fully distort or offset the appearance of its user in this manner, though Gareth often favored rapidly shifting her coloration to quickly confuse enemies on the battlefield. It is ineffective against Glam Sight: Fairy Eyes, Clairvoyance, or insect familiars. The ring also cannot confound the senses of sound, smell, or touch. A skilled user can use this ability in various ways for subterfuge. Not only is it suitable for spy work or theft; but a user in active combat could present a completely different fighting stance than what is true, appear completely unarmed, or appear to be standing in a position up to two meters away from their actual location in any given direction. This would then allow for an easier kill as the enemy could not react to the true orientation of the user or their armaments. Gareth, as an honorable Knight, refused to use the ring in this manner. Natalia Kaminski had no such reservations.
If Gareth had used the ring to merely conceal her armor and weapon from sight on the day of her Queen's scheduled execution instead of dispensing with them fully, history may have played out very differently...