Fuyuki City, Japan
2004
Ari stood in front of the four, facing down the abomination called Taniks. Gudako had excitement in her brown eyes, looking at the futuristic figure with much intent. She felt as if she was in a dream, and then like clockwork, Mash groaned, snapping her out of her trance. Mash's eyes partially opened weakly, staring up at Gudako.
Ritsuka just looked at Ari spin her strange futuristic glaive as if it was just a mere stick. His blue eyes wandered toward Taniks, as silence suffocated them. Ari stepped back with a single foot, raising the glaive slightly, pointing it at Taniks. The fire crackled, filling Ritsuka's ears, and then Ari leaped towards the monstrosity. Ari slashed Taniks side, causing the abomination to scream like a demon, zooming past it. Ritsuka looked over at Olga, who watched curiously. She seemed to be trying to either explode the two Servants with her mind or figure something out.
Ari, using her momentum, turned around, and flung a small orb of fire at Taniks. It hit its back engine in a small burst of flame. Taniks turned around, aiming its weapon at the Warlock. It fired, hurling a ball of fire toward Ari. Her eyes under her helmet briefly widened, before she jumped into the sky. She glided into the air, gracefully landing on the edge of some burning buildings. Ari let out a sigh, raising her glaive almost like a rifle before a voice rang through her head.
"Eyes up, Guardian," a familiar friendly voice said in a worried tone.
"What on earth?!" Ari exclaimed to herself.
Ari was caught off guard by the sudden voice, distracting her from Taniks' aiming the massive cannon at her. It fired a shot, hitting her in the abdomen, and sending her flying like a ragdoll through the fire and smoke. Tanik growled, turning toward the four.
Ritsuka felt a brief headache as Ari flew overhead. Olga's eyes were wide as she watched the Servant fly away; it happened so quickly. Gudako looked at Taniks, who was still staring at them, while Ritsuka and Olga ran toward her and Mash, with Gudako holding her shield. Mash groaned slightly, seeming to have been healed a bit. She tried to get up but was stopped by Gudako.
"No, you're hurt; that thing will kill you," Gudako protested.
Olga said, "She's our only hope; as a Demi-Servant, she should be able to hold it off."
"But..." Ritsuka attempted to protest as Taniks aimed its weapon at him.
"There's no time for arguing, dammit!" Olga shouted.
The twins let out a sigh, moving out of the way as Mash grabbed her shield. She stood up, adjusting her posture to be firm, and walked out in front of the group, raising her shield. A loud bang shot through the air, as fire exploded from Taniks' weapon. Mash blocked the strike; her knee buckled under the sheer force. The girl gritted her teeth, her eyes showing fierce determination. Smoke covered her form briefly before she cut through with her shield, charging at Taniks.
Ari lay lifeless on the concrete when a strange drone appeared above her corpse, with a shocked expression. "Sorry Guardian," it apologized while its shell shot out around it to form an orb of light. It snapped together in a small but noticeable flash. Ari let out a loud groan of utter pain. "Eyes up, Guardian."
"Don't talk to me right now, Ghost," she groaned slowly getting up as she rubbed her head. "You know it would be best to reveal yourself after a battle, and not during one."
"Well, I couldn't just leave you to hog all the glory," the drone -known as Ghost- stated.
Ari rolled her eyes under her helmet, summoning her glaive to her hand. "Well, do you have any idea where we are?"
No, not really. But it seems we are something called a Servant, a Lancer, to be specific," Ghost began. "Most of the information I have is scattered."
"So it seems for once we are on equal footing when it comes to knowledge," Ari noted as she began to walk with Ghost perched above her shoulder. "I guess we should go and help our master."
"That sounds wrong," Ghost said with moderate disgust.
"You hung out with Wolf far too much," Ari said, walking from where she had been thrown. She stepped through the rubble of what used to be a grand building, looking past the flames to see a pink-haired shield-wielding girl fighting Taniks. Ari smiled beneath her helmet as she spun her glaive. "Should we help?" she asked, looking at the girl who was now dodging a sudden geyser of purple energy.
"I think we should," Ghost said, disappearing in a blue mist.
Ritsuka watched nervously as Mash fought the abomination; explosions of fire and energy went off around the area, adding more to the anxiety. Gudako felt nervous as well, not wanting to see their friend get hurt. The two could barely discern Olga's expression due to the shaking of the eyes; the emotion they saw was fear.
Taniks let out a roar as Mash struck the beast, cutting off one of its arms. Taniks turned and aimed at Mash with its weapon. Each shot after was dodged or blocked by the Demi-servant. Taniks rushed the young girl, swinging its weapon like a club. The strike collided with the girl's shield. Mash buckled her knees under the force; the sound of the weapon charging up filled her ears. Mash's eyes widened, and then she heard something go off, felt a weight leave her body, and finally an explosion.
Ritsuka looked in awe as Gudako cheered happily. "Yes, let's go!"
Olga quickly ordered, "Don't draw attention to yourselves." She turned her head toward the smoke and grabbed Ritsuka's hand, which Ritsuka opposed slightly. They saw markings on the wall that had gone unnoticed by both of them. "She was alive."
"Hey," Ritsuka exclaimed, pulling back slightly. "What are... what are these?"
"This is a Command Spell, which allows the user to force a Servant to obey orders to the letter, even against their will," Olga explained as she muttered something vaguely insulting to herself.
Ritsuka looked at the back of his hand before he turned his head toward the fire -where Ari was thrown. He saw the Lancer standing there, aiming her glaive at Taniks, who stared at her with rage. Ritsuka thought that he would've noticed the strange markings on his hand, but in the heat of the moment, his mind was most likely elsewhere.
Gudako had a massive smile on her face as she looked at Ari, whose robes flowed in the wind, with her body standing heroically, framed by the fire and smoke. "Let's go!"
While Taniks was distracted, Mash slammed her shield into its jaw. Taniks recoiled back as Ari charged toward the abomination. Taniks quickly fired at the Guardian who stuck their glaive out. A pale translucent shield formed in front of Ari, blocking the inferno of orbs. Mash stabbed her shield into one of Taniks' engines causing it to scream like a pissed-off tiger, before Taniks could retaliate, Ari slashed its gut. Taniks growled, raising one of its hands into the air. Mash jumped back slightly, noticing electricity pick up debris like tiny fingers playing with a doll. Ari smiled as a ring of debris formed around the abomination. The warlock despawned her glaive, switching it out for a revolver of sorts. Multiple shots were fired, causing Taniks to flinch in the pain it felt. The debris spun around faster with each shot. Mash moved in front of the twins and the director, thinking the debris was about to shoot out like an explosion. Taniks let out a roar as a shockwave sent Ari flying toward the group alongside the debris. Mash raised her shield to protect the three behind her.
"Senpais stay behind me," she ordered. A piece of concrete collided with her shield, shattering like glass; meanwhile, Ari flew past them.
"This is too fast!" Ari screamed attempted to slow down but to no avail. She let out a sigh as she went head first into a wall.
Ghost appeared above her either a sigh. "I'm starting to sense a pattern," he sighed snapping his shell back together.
Ritsuka stood behind Mash and felt another headache as Ari ran toward them. "Nice to see you again Master," Ari chirped.
"Hello Ari," Ritsuka greeted somewhat awkwardly; meanwhile Gudako gave a small wave.
Olga rolled her eyes, and then Taniks' roar caught their attention. Ari ran next to Mash with a smile under her helmet. Mash looked at Ari briefly, noticing her excitable posture. Taniks stared at them letting out a low growl; his glowing eyes staring them down. The tension rose as the silence became deafening. Taniks let out a grunt before hovering off suddenly, knowing it was outgunned and outnumbered in this situation.
Ari's expression was one of utter confusion underneath her helmet. "How unusual," she muttered.
Mash lowered her guard slightly, watching Taniks retreat. "I believe he's gone," Mash noted.
"Thank god," Gudako sighed dramatically.
Ari took off her helmet revealing golden blond hair tied into a bun. Emerald eyes revealed themselves as she turned to look at the group. "So that was fun," she said clapping her hands.
"Who are you?" Olga said with an uncharacteristic curious tone. "I never read or heard of any Guardian of Sol."
"They only call me that because I help save the Sol System from the Taken King, the Vex, Calus, Ghaul, Savathun, Nezerac, and Rhulk," Ari listed.
Olga grew confused and slightly annoyed. "What!?"
The ghost appeared above Ari's shoulder in a blue mist. "I don't think she knows who they are."
Before she could speak Ritsuka cut her off, his and everyone's eyes now stuck on Ghost. "What is that?"
"Oh, he is my ghost," Ari said nonchalantly.
"So he is what you look like after you die, that's not what I expected," Gudako giggled.
"No, I revive the Guardian if she dies, which is unfortunately a lot," the ghost corrected.
Ritsuka raised an eyebrow, before laughing thinking it was some kind of joke. Ari gave a small glare to Ghost who would probably have a cheeky smile.
"Before we continue our questions, we need to regain contact with Chaldea," Olga declared.
Like clockwork Roman appeared on a rather glitchy hologram, looking at the director nervously. "Director, thank god you're fine."
"Romani? What are you doing, where is Lev," Olga yelped with an almost deadly glare.
"Well about that," Roman began placing his hand behind his head.
Sorry for the late update, I will try to get one out every week, but time is being a pain to me.
Please tell me when there a grammar issues. I will fix Chapters 1 and 2 at a layer date.
Non-Spoiler Questions:
Xs0nicblAdeX: Yes Ari is another version of Artoria, she won't be the only character appearing as a guardian either.