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There is a theory that as the number of possibilities approaches infinity, an outcome goes from impossible to certain. Yet, even as the ouroboros circles, there seemed to be things that would never change. The entity known as Hakuno Kishinami was the very last Master qualified for the Moon Cell Grail War. They were partnered with a confident Saber, a stubborn Archer, an eager Caster, a gentle Berserker, or a golden King. These were the only options available to a Master so lacking. Yet. Even an ouroboros can pause in its eating. A small hiccup in the code was all it took.

This particular Hakuno Kishinami has done the impossible. She had 'awoken' to her reality before all the others. Even one Rin Tohsaka.

It had started with headaches knifing through her skull, and the world itself seemed to be covered in old TV static. Something had drawn her to the far end of the first-floor hallway, and further still through the wall itself. A lifeless doll had kept her safe in the strange computer world beyond. But it was all for naught. The doll clattered to the ground like the useless thing it was, having failed against another doll standing sentinel in the final room. The glowing dais was of little comfort, agony forcing Hakuno's body to crumple much like the doll before her. A voice overhead was saying something about how she'd be the first of many failures, but Hakuno was not paying it much attention. Her thoughts turned round in circles. Painpainpainpain. It hurts! It felt like all her nerves were on fire, rebelling against her continued existence. …Maybe I should just give up? The call to oblivion touched the edges of her mind. She did her best to mentally swat at it, refusing with her entire being. Her arm muscles clenched in an attempt to stand again. -! The agony gripped her tighter, a cat unwilling to free the mouse it had caught. Really giving up was for the best, don't you think Hakuno? Whatever it was she was seeking was surely not worth this torture. I will not just give up the thought growled defiantly at the sensation. At herself. Death was a terrifying possibility. One she rallied against. I will keep fighting! I'll keep getting back up! She had to know what all this meant!

"I like your spirit, little missy!" A voice called to her cheerfully from the ether. "Besides, what sort of hero would I be to let a lady just struggle on the ground like that? Oi! You hear me you dumb rock?! This one's mine". There was a swirl of energy and a figure manifested, the power radiating from it entirely different than the dolls she had encountered before. The blue haired man gave her a roguish grin, showing little fangs in his mouth. "What do you say? Think you're up for being my Master?"

What sort of question was that? In too much pain to really consider all this, Hakuno could only nod her assent. She eyed the hand offered by this very blue person before accepting his help up. At the touch, three red tattoo-like symbols carved themselves onto the back of her hand, making Hakuno's jaw hurt as her teeth clenched in response. There was a rattling noise behind her, a reminder that the sentinel effigy was still there and still very aggressive. "Not exactly the most interesting of first fights, but Shishou would say that training should never be overlooked." Sighing, like this situation bored him, Mr. Blue walked around her. With a spin of his hand, a red lance appeared. Between one step and the next, he readied himself for combat. "Come on, Master! Let's break this toy". The brief journey with the doll had forced Hakuno to learn how to mentally communicate orders. But this man was no thoughtless thing. Cautious, her mind touched his, half expecting to be rebuffed. She was only greeted by one red eye glancing at her and a raised eyebrow. The doll swiped and her panicked thought Block! was answered with the doll being parried with the same ease as breathing. The counter attack that followed certainly held far more power than the toy she'd been forced to use before. Ok. She would work with this man. Ethical quandaries later, survival first!

"There you go missy!" The mysterious Mr. Blue's praise was accompanied by a laugh. Together they worked, and the man easily dismantled the doll. "Nothing but worthless scrap" he lamented, leaning that red lance of his on his shoulder. "Think you can find me a more challenging fight next time? Or at least an opponent that's entertaining?"

A voice spoke from above again welcoming her to the Holy Grail War. Talking about Mages and wishes. How Mr. Blue was something called a Servant and would serve as her sword and shield through the ordeal. Her gaze met his and he answered with another wolfish grin. "So it is decided," the voice from above continued. On it went, commenting on her sloppy efforts and something about her 'having a light'. It was hard to focus through the pain in her head, hand, and generally everywhere else. And finally, it all culminated together in Hakuno collapsing.

"Damnit Master! This is no place for a nap!"

She had the vague sensation of getting picked up before everything went dark.

*/*/*

The world is filled with smoke and ash. Everything around is red as far as the eye can see. A hell on Earth with a voice echoing from the past. Don't remember. Never forget this. The dream voice argues with itself. Blood everywhere, lives vanishing like dust in the breeze. Why? Why?! The voice demands answers that are not given. This cannot be the end. This cannot be it. All traces of the sorry scene are washed away by the rain.

"Ngh. My head." Hakuno blinked awake as the world came into focus. The nurse's office greeted her return to the world of the living. Had… had that all been a dream? The headaches? The doll? Mr. Blue? But no. This place was different from the nurse's station of before. She slowly sat up and another presence materialized beside the bed. This man in his strange blue outfit could not be anything but the Servant she had met before.

"And a good morning to you too Master. Honestly, I was wondering if you were going to sleep the whole Grail War away." Mr. Blue looked displeased at the prospect. "You do know what a Holy Grail War is, right? Or did you just charge into this whole thing blind? One of us has to have at least a bit of impulse control in this relationship."

Hakuno was still putting together everything that had happened, but she still remembered the overhead voice's lecture on the subject. Kind of. A little. "Of course I know." Not that she'd admit that she was still questioning this whole situation when Mr. Blue was giving her that expectant look.

"And that means you also know what Servant is too then. If it wasn't obvious, I'm part of the Lancer class." Another look, like he was expecting her to protest the negative.

"Yes, I do." Once more the lecture from the ceiling she'd half paid attention to fuzzily replayed in her mind. Servants were incarnations of Heroes past. Or something like that. "You were- are a real person. But I don't know who."

"Asking my True Name already, lass? Aren't you bold! You could at least buy me dinner first," Mr. Blue winked at her, those little fangs of his showing once more in his grin. "In all seriousness, I'm kind of famous. Or perhaps infamous might be a hair more apt." Here he shrugged, as if to say 'what can you do?' "The more people that know my True Name, the more likely it is someone will think of a way to counter me. For now, call me Lancer. Maybe we'll get to know each other better later." With that Mr. Blue or rather Lancer vanished. Probably to keep his identity a secret. Hakuno had no idea how someone could peg a Servant's identity on sight, but she was hardly the expert in this.

"Good morning Hakuno! Congratulations on making it into the War and being the first to partner with a Servant. Though, you slept so long that all the other participants have also been chosen." A purple haired nurse walked up and checked Hakuno over for any other ailments. "I am Sakura Matou, the AI in charge of Master healthcare. Now that you've awoken and your memories have returned to you by the .PH., please take time to review them and orient yourself."

"Wait a minute. Returned memories? But I don't recall anything from before the school!" And what was this about sleeping so long that everyone else was here already?!

You put Sleeping Beauty to shame, Master. Lancer's voice sounded in her mind, the grin on his face felt even if he remained unseen. Hakuno must've thought that last thought too loud and projected it to the invisible asshole if his snickering was any indication.

"It seems that there has been an error in turning your memories. I am afraid I cannot help you as I am just an AI." Complaints fell on deaf ears. Or rather they were expressed to someone that could not assist. "Please take this" the AI continued as if the previous conversation had not occurred, holding out a device. "This portable terminal is how you will receive updates and notices. Please read any notices that may appear on it." Conversation apparently over, the nurse AI resumed her station. A new forming headache robbed behind Hakuno's eyes. Best to get out of here. Maybe some fresh air would help. The roof would offer the best view of the situation she'd found herself in. Like patient zero in a zombie movie, she trugged her way up three flights of stairs and out onto the roof. Surely a normal school would never let such a place be so accessible? Hakuno's empty memory provided no context but she was not going to protest the possible difference now.

Her eyes squinted in the light of the binary sky. There was so much blue here. The sky. The school. Her Servant. It helped chase away the lingering red of that nightmare. The blue did not help bring back her lost memories. But this was still something, a soothing sensation on her raw nerves. One red figure ruined the blue tapestry, but as whoever it was had been here first, Hakuno could not protest their presence. This feminine figure turned, her hands patting every part of the area she could. Hakuno recognized her easily. After all, such a person could not be anyone else besides Rin Tousaka. "I've investigated this school from top to bottom, but there's nothing strange about it." The words Rin spoke were directed inwards, not towards the owlishly blinking Hakuno.

Why would a normal school be a bad thing?

Beats me, Master. The minds of women are complex enough as is. If there's one thing I learned from my life, it's that I'll never understand 'em.

Hakuno really needed to learn how to control her thought projection. She hadn't meant for Lancer to hear that question.

"Oh? You over there". Hakuno froze, resembling a deer in the headlights at Rin's sudden address. "Yes, you. I haven't checked out the NPCs yet. I know a simple way. Now don't you move." Rin's thin delicate fingers brushed Hakuno's cheek.

?! There were not really words to Hakuno's thoughts. Only a sense of startled panic.

"Imagine that. You're warm, though you shouldn't be. Hmm. That's strange, seeing your cheek flush like that." Rin's gaze is somehow both clinical and playful. "You seem real, more so than most."

Poor Master! Lancer's barking cackle showed no real sympathy. Getting felt up by a pervert on your first day!

Rin turned to look somewhere behind her. "What are you talking about? It's to our advantage to look into everything, even NPCs." A pause. "Huh? She's a Master too? No way, a Master should be more… What! That means I just felt up a person!" A glare towards the empty air, where Rin's Servant must be. "Shut up! I can make mistakes too! I don't need your snide commentary!" Her glare then turned back to Hakuno "It's your fault anyway for looking like an NPC! Fix that blank look on your face! You'd think the prelims didn't jog your memories." Hakuno could not help her visible flinch. "No way, your memories haven't returned? That's… not good. Once you're in the Holy Grail War the only way out is to win." The concern faded out of Rin's eyes as she turned away with a sense of finality. "Oh well, without a reason to fight, you'll be defeated soon enough."

I think I just glimpsed the real Tousaka. My opponent. Hakuno somehow understood. It wasn't personal. Here it was kill or be killed.

Tch. She's a spitfire alright. I'll enjoy dousing that temper of hers when we come out on top.

Hakuno had to admit that Rin did have a point though. With her lost memories all she really knew was that she was a Master in the Holy Grail War with a Servant at her command.

Sometimes, fighting for survival is all that's needed, Master. Even a wounded dog can still bite your hand off. Let's show them all our teeth.


A/N: It's been a minute since I've written anything. I decided to start writing this just for fun. For those looking for an update/news on my other fic I apologize. It's been a struggle. Let's get some oil for the rusty cogs of my muse and we'll see what happens!