A/N: Oooh boy, here we go. My first fanfic of Fate, I hope that I did well on the chapter since English isn't my native language, but I did my best and you gotta start somewhere. And to be honest? I'm be proud of it. So I hope you all enjoy, and any constructive criticism is appreciated! I'm also cross-posting on AO3. And next chapter will come in Sunday.
Warmth. That was his first memory.
It's commonly believed that children don't retain many memories before the age of three or four. However, these memories are not lost. Only stored in the depths of the mind. And a trigger can awaken them at any time, or they can come naturally. In this case, this memory came during a dream, like in several other nights.
It's hard to say if it's a good memory or not. Especially when you never have the full picture. This warmth felt strange and unfamiliar. It was like being inside an egg in hot water, cooking. And yet, also felt like a hug.
Then came the cold, along with a sense of unease. As if someone threw a bucket of water over you while you were lying in bed. It was something so cruel that the infant couldn't resist the urge to cry, not to mention that it was difficult to breathe in the first few seconds.
And there was the stiffness of the floor bothering him, as if he had come out of that egg and been placed on top of a rock. Soon the warmth came again, although this time from beneath him, and it wasn't like before. Do you know the difference you feel between a hug and a heater? So, that's it. And the first thing his little eyes saw was the ceiling of a cave. With a dim light, which he couldn't see the source of.
As the infant stood in solitude, another figure approached him. With an expression of confusion before it turned into one of love. He couldn't make out any details of this figure besides their expression, but this stranger lifted the little one. Holding him tenderly. As the baby looked at the figure, they noticed a reflection of sharp blades glinting in the light. Blades coming out of the body of this stranger.
Soon after, the baby began to feel at ease in the stranger's embrace, basking in the warmth radiating from their body. While it was akin to the sensation he felt at the beginning, but he was no longer encompassed by it; instead, it was emanating from the stranger's chest. At that moment, the child realized that what he was feeling was love - a connection, comfort, and warmth all in one.
Unfortunately, he couldn't discern any other details about the person who held him. However, he heard their voice, which bore sadness as they nearly choked on tears.
"Hey, little guy, welcome to the world." Weirdly, it was a male voice, which left him a little confused, as he expected it to be his mother or even a nurse. The most peculiar thing is that despite being just a baby, he somehow understood the figure's words. That's a first. "Let's go home."
Suddenly, an annoying sound interrupted the memory while it started to become blurred and even more confusing. Do you know when someone adds a sound effect that gradually increases in volume and takes over the entire scene? So, that's it.
The last thing he remembered was the feeling of something passing through his cheek and creating a cut, which would remain in the future as a scar to this day. In addition to the feeling of nausea from all the shaking, a shrill sound attacked his sensible ears, followed by a scream that came from the man carrying him.
A scream full of courage, sadness, and pain echoed through as if that man was slowly falling apart as he screamed.
"Trace On!"
And then, a golden light appeared. It filled the baby's vision, and despite being uncomfortable, it was beautiful, almost divine.
The dream ended when the light reached its peak, with his mind waking up to reality.
The sound of a cell phone ringing echoed through the room. That was what was making that sound during the dream and what woke him up, although that would be the end of the dream anyway.
It always ended with that scream and that light. The difference was how many details could be extracted from the dream. For example, only this time he could understand those words from the man.
Still, the feeling of tiredness ran through his entire body. That's the effect of not sleeping the minimum number of hours necessary. Shouldn't have stayed up late watching anime. However, the problem wasn't when the boy went to sleep but who was calling him. If he knew one thing, it was that he had no appointment in the morning, and yet his cell phone wouldn't stop ringing.
The boy didn't feel like picking up. When you do, you get stuck in the moral dilemma of being rude and hanging up or ignoring the call, which forces the person to insist until they give up. And some people won't give up. If it is the person that he thinks it is, then ignoring him probably wasn't an option.
However, the boy also wanted to stay in his futon forever. It was one of the first possessions he bought with his own money. He had it for five years already, which was noticeable for the damaged areas, stitched together, and other fabrics added to keep it together. Maybe he should buy a new one.
Of course, thinking about this was just an excuse to procrastinate and not think about answering the call. And buy time to ignore the cell phone. The attempt to muffle the sound by wrapping in several layers of blankets didn't work either. The ringing continued, and then the young man dared to leave his comfort and pick up the damn cell phone, which had a crack on the screen though it was still new.
He could have cracked his phone in many ways, but it broke because it fell out of his pocket. Anyway, when he brought his cell phone inside his warm and comfortable fortress, he couldn't help but let a groan escape his lips when he saw the nickname "Geezer" on the contact.
It had to be the geezer, calling at... damn, at seven in the morning! The usual time for this boy to wake up was at ten. Fuck my life! That's what he thought, enraged.
He almost ignored the call but knew it must be important, so he answered. "Hey...? Geezer? It's seven in the morning. If this is about that email thing again, I told you, is that not that complicated!"
Seriously, who needs an hour-long course to understand how to send an email?!
"That's not it, Shion." Said the voice on the other end. The voice was serene and serious, also harsh due to his age. Shion knew that tone meant trouble, and he groaned, accepting that he would have to get up.
"What is it this time?" The sleepy tone annoyed the person on the other end, with a sigh coming in response. Did you expect me to be awake by any chance? I'm not as old as you to have to piss at five in the morning.
"It's another mud pit. We need you to clean it. We thought it was just a problem with cherry tree roots but turns out it was way worse." And his suspicions were confirmed. It was trouble.
"Can't we wait… I dunno, another two hours? Maybe three?" The young man's eyes were barely open, and he didn't want to deal with anything so soon. However, this proved to be the last straw for the old man, who got angry and woke the boy up definitely with a scream.
"Come quickly, you lazy brat! I was never this lazy to change your diaper! And you used to poop more than the chickens I have at home! So, get up, eat breakfast, and come here to clean this mud hellhole!"
At first, the response came as some grumbling from the boy, who sat down, running his hand through his violet hair. Shion had a messy hairstyle and would remain that way since it's a lot of work to brush it every morning. He also noticed that he hadn't put on his pajamas to go to sleep. Currently, he was wearing a shirt with stains from the last meal, loose pants, and was missing a sock, feeling the cold touch his toes.
"Okay, send me the location, I'm on my way…" The call ended after the old man muttered in agreement. Shion grumbled once he was sure the geezer was no longer listening. "... annoying old priest."
And so, another day begins. The first thing to do was take a shower. The plumbing was still not working, so the boy went outside. There were three buckets full of water from yesterday's rain. When looking up at the sky, there were still clouds covering the sky of Fuyuki City. That's usual in winter, but it was always worse for those who lived in Miyama Town.
The weather in that area was already bad. The difference is that it had torrential rains in winter and just a few rays of sunshine in the summer. Now, the rain had stopped, the air was freezing, so much so that it felt even inside the house. And outside felt almost like stepping into the new ice age.
Shion was betting that things weren't so bad for the new and modern Shinto district, which he observed from up there. Few clouds covered the sky, and the sun was shining over that part of the city.
Typical, Miyama always had a hard time. And Shinto? Hah, Shinto always had a wonderful time, houses with thermal and even noise insulation. And so clean, as if they had built yesterday.
It was hard not to feel envious, even more so when Shion looked at his house and noticed how old it was to the modern apartments and houses on the other side. Was he projecting his problems too much? For sure. Especially this idea of a perfect life from what he saw from afar.
However, whenever he looked that way, he felt that everything would be different if he had been born in Shinto.
The violet-haired boy puts these thoughts away, going inside to escape the cold. Heating the water from the buckets in a huge saucepan using his electric stove, removing all its impurities as it boiled.
He separated the water into three bowls, using one for personal hygiene. Such as washing his hands and face, brushing his sharp teeth, and almost a cat bath.
While he was in the middle of brushing his teeth, the boy paused for a moment to take a good look at his face. He had terrible dark circles under his violet eyes, but he was relieved seeing his teeth were still pearly white. Though his scar was almost unnoticeable every morning, he still liked to brag about it to other people, though.
And about the cat bath, it's because he had to pour it in small amounts. Otherwise, he would have to use another of the bowls. It wasn't practical to use any other as the second one was for cleaning the house. With a heater drying it afterward to avoid causing humidity.
And the third bowl was to heat his instant ramen, the only type of food he knew how to prepare. In addition to not wanting to spend money on groceries, he preferred to save every yen for the future.
That is some useful advice the geezer taught me. Not to mention, he lent me that generator to avoid paying the electricity bill.
When he thought about it, Shion could only remember the times the so-called "geezer" helped him, even more so by encouraging him to live alone and be independent. Another part kept wondering if the old man only wanted him out of his house. I bet he was in a hurry to take his bitches there.
Because the geezer was a priest, but he was no saint.
Anyway, Shion would enjoy this instant ramen with some television. Turning it on and trying to ignore some of the loneliness and silence in that house, replacing it with the news.
"And to start the morning news. After nearly seventeen years since the Fuyuki earthquake, Miyama Town will be rebuilt. The ones in charge hope the reconstruction will be completed by 2026."
This information made Shion's eyes widen.
First, he remembered how close his birthday was. February 15th was knocking on the door, even though he only had the old man and a few friends to celebrate with. After all, who else would want to celebrate someone's birthday on the same day a tragedy happened?
Second, he didn't believe there were plans to rebuild Miyama. Did they happen to see the streets? It would take much more than five years to rebuild all of this.
And third...
Will the girls from the Shinto district come here to check it out? That was what Shion asked himself in his thoughts. As well as delving into the memories he had about the girls from that district.
From some traditional beauties to the more exotic, which made Shion excited for what was to come.
"One of the project leaders mentioned that they have discovered a solution to the toxic gas problem in Miyama. Although they did not disclose any specifics, they did mention that a specialist is handling the situation and that it will soon be safe once again to reside in Miyama."
Specialist? Wow, the teen was starting to feel important. Maybe he could throw this to the geezer's face. And he felt like laughing at the excuse they gave for no one living in Miyama. Toxic gases, really? If the problem is gas, then how does it not spread through the air and reach the other side of the city?
These people seemed to have no idea of the danger. Yes, it was a lie, but no one left the city because of it. Shion wondered if people believed in this excuse or were pretending to because they were no longer interested in the old town.
"And not only that, today the city will pay respect to the victims of the tragedy with the inauguration of the new Ryuudou temple, located in the Shinto district."
Out of curiosity, his violet eyes left the ramen and focused on the television, seeing the image of a temple. Upon comparing the old images in the news report, he realized it was a complete recreation of the former. Maybe I should visit the temple. After all, any excuse was good to have fun in Shinto.
"We wish nothing but the best for Fuyuki. May the souls of those departed rest in peace. The exact cause of the earthquake is still unknown, but scientists say it was a natural phenomenon. Although, some theorize it could've been induced by human activities, some go far to say it may be related to the fire twenty-seven years ago."
If the so-called scientists knew what happened or even what was happening today, their pants would probably walk on their own. Speaking of walking, Shion finally received the location from the priest. And now he needed to hurry. I bet he was trying to understand how to send it all this time.
After putting on his purple coat, he slipped his feet into his old shoes - that had seen better days. Put on a black shirt and blue jeans that had a few holes in them and threw the empty ramen package in the trash before leaving. Now dressed and fancy, he had almost everything ready to go, there was just one thing missing. His mop, his weapon, his shadow, which was also his partner in crime.
"Oi, shadow! Time to work! We weren't born with an inheritance to be lazy!" Shion's scream echoed through the empty house. Then something moved under his blankets, neither animal nor human. "Come on, lazy butt!"
The sound of the blankets moving increased as if what was underneath them was grumbling, just like the boy did before. Soon, the entity he referred to as "shadow" appeared. While some may have believed it came from another world, for Shion, it was just another part of his strange life.
The shadow was pitch black, with a red gradient at the edges, its shape resembling a jellyfish, giving it an otherworldly and supernatural appearance. This creature wrapped itself around the young man's left arm, like a second skin, beneath his coat and shirt.
"Nice. Now, let's go meet the geezer." Otherwise, he would have to endure almost an hour of the old man's rambling before and after the cleaning.
With that in mind, Shion left his residence and, as always, took one last look at his home before leaving. Which always filled him with nostalgia for when the old priest introduced this house to him.
This was the only property registered under the boy's family name. Miraculously, it remained unaffected by the earthquake despite the state of the surrounding area. Especially how close it was to the origin of the catastrophe, almost on the edge of the city, north of Miyama, near Mount Enzou.
It was an old building, with a classic Japanese style, like most other houses in that area. Some consider it an example of historic architecture. I think it's almost like a fossil, but it feels nice to have all this space. After all, even though the signs of degradation were evident to anyone who looked, it was far from collapsing like other houses.
And if an earthquake didn't take it down, time probably wouldn't either. There was a small sign at the entrance with a handwritten sentence almost impossible to read, attached to the top with ropes.
"House of the Mud Cleaner, Shion Emiya. I have nothing here worth stealing, seriously."
Shion smiled as he remembered writing those words when he was ten. Although life may not always be as he wanted it to be, it still had its good parts. Besides, he was much better off than many people in the world, so he couldn't complain too much.
His walk through the fragmented streets of Miyama required caution due to the numerous elevations. It resembled a warzone. There were also ravines separating the streets, which could lead to certain death if someone fell. Especially so close to the origin of the disaster.
Still, the boy found it easy to navigate through the area, as he had been doing it since he was ten. Right away he ran towards the edge of one of the ravines and jumped without hesitation, reaching a height of almost three meters and landing safely on the other side.
It was as if he was a rabbit hopping through the destroyed streets, unbothered by the appearance of the world around him. Although the mornings could be cold and not everything was perfect, it couldn't bring his mood down despite his sleepiness.
"How nice it is to walk around the city in the morning! I have the streets all for myself! I just wish it wasn't so cooooooooooooold!" And a misstep led to him falling into one of the ravines.
For an ordinary person, this would be the end of a short life, but Shion had an ace up his sleeve, always willing to do something when he was in danger.
As the boy was about to crash into the ground, one of the tentacles from the shadow extended towards the nearest building and wrapped itself around it. That allowed the shadow to pull the young man back to the surface and prevent him from becoming a scrambled egg.
"Woohoo! This is how you travel with style!" Shouted the violet-haired boy, laughing as he repeated the same action, but now aware of what he was doing and swinging while using the taller buildings around, at least those less destroyed.
Then, when there were only small buildings, he used the shadow to pull himself to the edge of one of them and jumped as before. From one building to another, like a monkey jumping from one tree to another. Using the elasticity of the shadow to be able to swing without ever losing speed.
While enjoying himself, Shion had to pause and check his phone at the top of one of the buildings. He needed to confirm the location sent to him by the priest. His GPS indicated that he was already near the destination.
It was in an old hotel located in the inhabited area. Now, you may wonder, who in their right mind would still live in Miyama? Well, these people aren't your ordinary neighborhood. Those who lived in Miyama were either families of magus or priests, like Father Santiago, the geezer.
Due to the supernatural circumstances of the catastrophe, several representatives from the Mage's Association and the Holy Church came to find out what happened. And because they both wanted to solve a common problem, they did something unusual. Instead of a war, the two sides formed a society together.
The Church took control of the area and ensured its safety, using their contacts to keep civilians away from the bridge. Additionally, the magi established a bounded field around the region to prevent outsiders from seeing what is happening. Both sides ended in a symbiotic relationship, where some smaller bloodlines of magus went to live in Miyama. As well several priests and emissaries from the Church.
That's also why Shion was taken by surprise at the idea of rebuilding Miyama. Were all the priests and magi thinking about continuing with this society? Not that they would be incapable of such thing, but it's a daunting task despite having years to prepare. And there was still an issue, the one which led to call this morning. The same issue that prevented the reconstruction of the town and was the reason for the formation of the union between the two sides.
The mud pits. That's what they call an area flooded by a strange residue from within the earth, usually generated in places where cherry tree roots grow. A type of gray root that produces flowers like cherry trees, which grows in abundance in areas previously inhabited by people, almost as a warning of what is to come. And for some reason, only Shion can solve this problem. He never knew if it was due to some special power or not; for him, it was just a part of who he was.
In addition, both the Association and the Church were unable to uncover the cause of this ability. Furthermore, the Church imposed various limitations on the idea of examining this power. As Shion could lose the ability if only the magi had conducted a more profound analysis.
Leaving that aside, he soon landed on an empty street, not wanting anyone to see him using his shadow, especially since only the old man and his closest friends knew about it. Meanwhile, the ten-story building was surrounded by several priests, with most standing guard to prevent outsiders from entering. There were only a few magi nearby, mostly just curious. The violet-haired boy attempted to pass through the human barrier, but one of the priests pushed him back.
He was tall and blonde with an unfriendly look, gazing sternly at the teenager. "Sorry, young man, but this area is closed to civilians, and especially magus, keep moving."
Some of the other priests glanced at the boy, recognizing him, but kept silent. It was unclear whether they wanted to allow Shion to deal with the situation alone or if they didn't want to involve themselves.
Although his ability was highly valued by the Church, most priests had a negative impression of him. This could be due to his foul language or the fact that he worked more as a freelancer than a member of the Church. And some even feared his ability and its origin, thinking that he could become like one of the monsters that exist in the mud pits.
But it was clear that this priest was new here since he didn't know who Shion was. And I'm going to use it in my favor.
"Serious? Oh well, what a shame. Looks like I'm going home and sleep." The boy was already turning to leave when he heard a scream from the other side, beyond that wall of priests.
"Shion, there you are!" He knew that voice too well. The human barrier opened the way, some even letting out a sigh. Now, Shion could see the youngest priest around town, while the one who pushed him was confused by this action of the other priests.
"Damn, I almost had it." The violet-haired boy mumbles, walking towards the older teen with brown hair and gray eyes. "Morning, Toshiro, how are you?"
"I'm fine, thank you. How about you?"
"Sleepy."
"Well, maybe if you didn't stay up late watching anime, you'd have more energy for the morning." Shion just snorted when he heard that. Damn Toshiro, you know me too well!
Toshiro Tanaka. One of Shion's true friends. They lived together for ten years while under the care of the same guardian, the geezer. He's almost like an older brother. Sometimes he'll check on Shion and help him solve any problems he may encounter or provoke.
"Thanks, Mom, but if the geezer had called me at ten, I would have had a bit more energy." The young priest burst into laughter. Before he could respond, another person appeared shouting, with two coffees in hand.
"Next time I'll call you an hour earlier!" Said an old man with green eyes and white hair, whose clothes were much fancier than those of the priests present.
"Please don't. Poor little me, I can't be private from my beauty sleep." Shion said in a dramatic tone and a hand on his face. "My face is my best asset. If I had dark circles deeper than now, millions of girls would die of sadness."
As most of the Church members groaned, Toshiro was the only one who chuckled. The blonde man looked at this exchange with a confused look as the old priest finally dropped his frown and smiled. He even went so far as to wrap his arm around Shion's neck, messing up his hair even more.
"That's rich coming from someone who is as much of a virgin as a nun." Soon, the two separated, looking at each other with a smile, "Anyway, ready to work?"
"Don't feel like it, but I'm ready." Shion shrugged, scratching his head, not noticing the new guy approaching.
"Uh... Father Santiago, who is this boy?"
"Ah yes, you were sent by the bishop not long ago, weren't you, son? Then you must not know of him. This is the specialist you heard so much about. His name is Shion Emiya." The blonde man blinked a few times, obviously in disbelief that someone outside the church was said specialist.
"Him?! B-but he's younger than Toshiro!"
"Hey! I'll be seventeen in two weeks and two days! Besides, I have what old people call the power of youth." Shion wore an arrogant smile as he spoke. Santiago laughed, while Toshiro cringed a bit. "And be careful, or I'll start calling you geezer too, man. Believe me when I say that I won't stop anytime soon."
"He hasn't stopped to this day." The older priest nodded, and this time, Toshiro was the one who laughed at what the boy said. In the middle of the conversation, the young man with violet hair noticed movement coming from the entrance of the building.
Some golems came out, dragging the carcasses of others that had their limbs torn apart. "Oi, are we using golems now?"
"No, no, this was only a test. Some magus named Roche Frain suggested using golems to deal with mud pits, but, as you can see, it was useless." The young priest sighed heavily, shaking his head. "Honestly, I think it was just an attempt to gain a reputation in the city."
"Kind of obvious, but if it had worked, it would have been better." Father Santiago was different from most of the people in the Church when the subject was using magecraft.
The geezer didn't oppose the use of it, as he believed that if someone possessed a gift that could help the world in any way, it was worth giving them a chance to try. As long as it doesn't harm innocent people.
"Yeah, I could have slept a little longer if it had worked… ouch!" And then he got his ear pinched for saying that, with Santiago crossing his arms afterward.
"Anyway, you know what to do. Go in, eliminate all mud monsters, and then work your magic."
"I've been doing this since I was ten years old. Trust me, I know how to do my job, geezer."
"I'm not a geezer! I'm only sixty-six years old!"
"There's nothing worse than old people who won't accept that they're old, geezer! Besides, didn't you know that lying is a sin?" After making such a remark, the boy entered the building, leaving Santiago, Toshiro, and the new priest behind.
The blonde man observed Santiago's angry expression transforming into a smile, which felt like a father looking at his child. This only left him with more doubts about this boy. "Father Santiago, can I ask you something?" The elder turned around to look at him. "Why is that kid the first to be called when we have a problem like this? What makes him so special?"
"Well, son, I'll put it in simple. Shion is the only one capable of bending the mud to his will. Many bishops and cardinals believe he has some connection to the evil plaguing these lands, but if I may say so, that is not a bad thing."
"What do you mean, Father?"
"I think that, despite being linked to it, he might be the only good thing that came out of the mud and the tragedy from seventeen years ago. And that's why he's the only one who can clean the mud. And he agrees that is his responsibility to do so."
"Do you believe that?" The question was loaded with doubt, and the old man openly smiled.
"I do, he might be a brat, but he has a good heart." And he said that with sincerity.
Santiago vividly recalls the day he stumbled upon the little boy that he would name Shion. Admittedly, he has chosen this name only because the change in the kanji could read as violet. Maybe not his best idea, but he barely knew any Japanese at the time and the whole combinations of kanjis!
Still, finding him felt like a sign from God. The sight of a golden light, a child crying amid debris, unharmed except for a cut on his cheek, and without a belly button, was something he couldn't ignore nor forget. The moment Santiago held the child in his arms, he was certain that Shion would have a bright future and play a pivotal role in the lives of others.
Shion's family name and house were the only remnants of his past, but they held little significance in the present. The important thing is for the young lad to show everyone his potential.
And the show was about to start, as a shout echoed from the building.
"Trace on!"