Fifteen years ago…

July 2019

There were a few pubs in London which were exclusive to magi, but if you knew where to find them, they were easy.

Aaron hadn't set out with the intention of drinking in the pub tonight, but considering how exhausted he was, it was his best bet with getting a meal tonight. And it wasn't like the food and drink here were that bad. He'd actually enjoyed his fish and chips, possibly because part of him knew his father would be aghast if he could see his son now.

But it had started to rain and Aaron wasn't too keen on heading out into a storm this late at night. He'd locked up his workshop so he should be okay for at least an hour more than he had planned on. He glanced down at his tea on the bar top, staring into the slightly cooled liquid.

He'd never been much of a drinker, really. But the tea here was pretty good.

The bell rang over the door, signaling another customer, but Aaron didn't bother to turn around. He only started to pay attention, really, when a woman suddenly sat beside him.

"Scotch on the rocks, please. And some tea," she requested. Aaron glanced at her only to blink repeatedly at what he saw.

The woman was pale as snow, something he had only thought existed in fairy tales, and her ink black hair was sticking slightly to her skin, soaked through by the rain. She let out a sigh, dragging her hair over her shoulder to ring the water out of it and exposing the pale line of her neck. Aaron swallowed, his throat suddenly dry as his eyes were helplessly drawn to a loose strand of her hair. It was stuck to her shoulder, right above her red tank top. The woman cleared her throat and Aaron's eyes shot up, meeting her hazelnut brown ones directly.

"Clearly, it's raining out," she smiled lightly, a note of sarcasm in her voice. "Hope you don't mind me dripping everywhere."

"No, no, of course not," Aaron disagreed, coughing conspicuously into his fist. "I was just wondering…if you needed something to dry off with."

"Are you offering something?" the woman teased, the corner of her lips twitching in amusement. Aaron's cheeks burned, but his heart was racing in his chest in an unfamiliar but not unpleasant way.

Wordlessly, he took off his blazer and draped it over her shoulders. The woman laughed lightly, adjusting her hair and the jacket. Her eyes never left his and Aaron couldn't bring himself to break that gaze either.

"My knight in shining armor," she smiled. Her scotch and tea were in front of her, but she only picked up the tea, taking a delicate sip and shivering from the warmth of it. "Does my knight have a name?"

"Aaron," he answered. He laid a hand against the bar, just close enough that he could feel the warmth bleeding into her skin. There were only millimeters between their hands. "May I ask yours?"

The woman smiled, as if she held all the secrets of the universe.

Hanako was so very glad her Servant was Saber! Not only was she really strong, but she suggested the two of them explore Tokyo some more during their patrol for other Masters!

They'd already seen sooooooo many things and Hanako wanted to see even more!

"I am so glad you are having fun, dear Hana," Saber smiled. She spoke as if every word were a song and Hanako wanted nothing more than to sing along. "How about we get some crepes before we head into the library?"

"Okay!" Hanako nodded eagerly, practically skipping along. The crepes stand lady was also very nice, she didn't even mind when Hanako had to carefully count out each bill to make sure she had enough. And the crepes were delicious too! "Did you have crepes when you were alive?"

"Yes, we did. They were invented centuries before I was born," Saber laughed, smiling down at Hanako as she happily ate her own crepes. Hanako wondered if this was what having a big sister felt like. "Very well. Next, we will go to the library. It's both a treasure trove of books and an excellent place to begin our research."

Hanako hadn't been in a library before, so she was practically bouncing once they stepped inside. It was so pretty and so much bigger than she thought it would be! She was so excited, she couldn't help exclaiming it to Saber.

"Wow! This is a library? It's huge!" she cried, spinning around to try and take in everything. There was just so much! She wanted to explore everything and find so many books to read, both for the war and for fun. Who knew what she would find within these walls?

"Hana, you have to be quiet, okay?" Saber whispered, placing a hand on Hanako's shoulder and bending down so they were eye to eye. Saber only had two inches on Hanako, but it still felt nice that she made a point to meet Hanako on her own level. "Other people are trying to read and the rules say we must be quiet. Understand?"

"Yes!" Hanako nodded, consciously speaking quieter. She raised her hands up to her mouth, trying to trap her excitement within her body. Saber smiled at her and Hanako felt warmth spread through her.

"That's a good girl. Now, how about we go get ourselves some library cards, hm?" she suggested. Hanako nodded eagerly, grinning brightly as she took Saber's hand in hers, practically skipping over to the closest desk, which had a sign above it that spelled out 'Check Out' in crisp Japanese characters. Behind the desk was a woman with dark hair which had two pretty red ribbons in it.

"Hi!" Hanako beamed as she met the woman's gaze. "I'm Yamada Hanako and this is Saber! We're here for library cards!" The woman's eyes were wide as she looked from Hanako to Saber and back. She had a nametag pinned to her chest too, which read 'Tohsaka'.

That name sounded familiar…

Wait…wait, wait, wait, wait!

Wasn't Tohsaka—

"Aren't you—"

"Hana," Saber cut her off before Hanako could finish her question. Hanako looked at her, unsure of just what to say. The magic surrounding the woman, Tohsaka, was obvious now and that meant Saber probably sensed her Servant too. "This isn't a good place for that right now. And I think our new friend, Tohsaka, would agree, no?"

Hanako turned back to Tohsaka, finding the woman avoiding her gaze as she quickly went through the motions of giving her a library card. Hanako wasn't sure what she was doing, but before long, Tohsaka had slid a brand new library card towards her.

"Here is your new card, Yamada-san. Please, enjoy your visit," she said, still refusing to meet Hanako's gaze.

Hanako supposed she understood. If Tohsaka was a Master like her, then the two of them were enemies in the Holy Grail War. But they couldn't fight right here, in public with all these people who could be hurt if Saber and Tohsaka's Servant went all out.

But that didn't mean Hanako could get away with not fighting Tohsaka today. At least for now though, she could put it off a bit. With that thought in mind, Hanako grabbed the library card and smiled brightly at Tohsaka.

"Thank you, Tohsaka-san!" she exclaimed, bowing enthusiastically before she ran towards the first staircase, Saber right on her heels.

She didn't look back. She wouldn't.

Once Tohsaka and her Servant's gazes no longer rested on her back, Saber breathed a sigh of relief.

For all that many people have called her impulsive throughout her life, she knew when too much was too much. And taking on Tohsaka's Servant right now would be a terrible decision. The difference between their physical strength just from a glance was enough to make Saber pause.

Besides, there were far too many people here for her to risk going all out.

Luckily, once they were in a section of the library that was far from the eyes of any magi and Servants, Hanako focused instead on all the books she wanted to explore and Saber was all too happy to indulge.

She still remembered just how serious Hanako was during her summoning, holding the ornate sword which had served as her catalyst as if it had been thrust into her hands. The girl's eyes had an almost emotionless look to them, as if she weren't really seeing Saber as she appeared within the summoning circle. Saber had just wanted to hug her, so badly in that moment.

But Hanako's mother had prevented that.

"Excellent, Hanako, excellent!" the woman behind Saber's Master declared, clapping her hands as she eyed the sword Saber held. "You not only summoned a Servant, but Saber at that! The strongest of them all!"

"I did." Hanako stared at Saber, her eyes practically unseeing behind her glasses. "This is good, right, ma'am?"

"Absolutely," the woman, Hanako's mother most likely, confirmed. Her lips twisted into a smile, but Saber found she didn't know what to feel. "Now then, Saber, what is your name?"

"I'm afraid I can only tell my Master my name," Saber smiled sweetly, hiding her emotions behind the perfect mask that served her so well in life. It hid all her wildness away, reassuring the woman that Saber was no threat. "You must understand, it's a matter of security in the Holy Grail War."

"Oh, fine, fine," the woman scoffed, waving her hand at them. "Hanako, I am going upstairs. Ask Saber for her name and be sure to guard it well."

"Yes, ma'am." Hanako nodded, bowing respectfully to her mother.

Soon, the two of them were alone and Saber bent down slightly, placing her hands on her knee length frilly yellow and white ball gown. She was a bit taller than she normally would be, wearing her short high heeled shoes with white stockings, but it wasn't too much of a struggle to meet her Master's gaze head on. Her elaborately curly ponytail fell over her shoulder as she did so, softening her features even further.

"Hello, Hanako. You are my Master, then?"

"Yes," Hanako confirmed, still with that too serious, emotionless voice. "Please, can you tell me your name?"

Oh, Saber was going to have fun with this one.

As soon as the sun had risen, Saber had made sure she and Hanako were out and away from her mother's gaze under the pretext of patrolling for the Holy Grail War. In actuality, Saber was integrating Hanako into the real world that made up Tokyo while also exploring it herself.

Nothing had been more gratifying than watching the emotionless expression fall away from Hanako's sweet features as light and life filled her eyes.

She truly was the cutest when she was smiling.

And if Saber got to have some fun shopping for the first time in the modern era, well…that was nobody's business but hers.

Hanako spent as much time in the library as she wanted, exploring the books that she wanted to read for fun and the books that she thought would be useful for the war. It wasn't much since the library had a limit to the books she could check out, but it was better than nothing.

She went home with Saber to drop the books off, explaining what she learned about Tohsaka and getting ready to head back to the library that night.

After all, she found the first Master of the Holy Grail War. She couldn't avoid a confrontation when she knew exactly where Tohsaka was.

It wasn't even an option.

So when the sun started to set, Hanako stood on the porch and looked at Saber. She was clad in the yellow and white ballgown she'd appeared in when Hanako had summoned her, her rapier in her grasp.

"Ready, Saber?" she asked. Hanako felt cold, as if she were standing at a distance from the situation, as if this wasn't her life but someone else's. Or maybe it would be more accurate to say that she felt like a robot, fulfilling the objectives laid out before her and nothing more.

"Why, of course, my dear Hana," Saber smiled, blowing a kiss Hanako's way.

Hanako knew her Servant was trying to cheer her up and she could feel the corner of her lips twitching as if she wanted to smile.

But she didn't.

She couldn't.

Without another word, Hanako turned and walked off into the night.

It was time for her to face Tohsaka.

The Scramble Crossing was cold.

Hanako could see her breath escape her as she stood there, in front of the library. She was waiting.

It took a while, but soon the library doors opened and Tohsaka stepped outside. Her Servant was still in spirit form, but given how Saber tensed at Hanako's side, she knew they were there.

"Tohsaka-san," Hanako called out. Her voice was level and just on the side of cold. It was the best Hanako could do as fear and tension stiffened her spine. "We didn't get to have an open conversation earlier. My name is Yamada Hanako and this is my Servant, Saber. Before we begin, I ask you return the favor."

"It would be rude of me not to," Tohsaka smiled, looking completely at peace. Hanako couldn't get a read on her, which only made her stiffen even further. Tohsaka bowed, an elegant movement that caused her dark hair to fall forward over her shoulder. "My name is Tohsaka Anya. And this is my Servant…"

As she trailed off, Tohsaka waved her hand to the side as her Servant appeared at her side. Hanako gulped as the tall person in dragon scale armor appeared, as if stepping out of mist and into the light.

"Berserker," Tohsaka stated. There was no change in her expression, not a sign of conceit or pride. She simply…was. "And his pronouns are he/they so please, use both."

"Right." Hanako nodded. She wasn't sure what else to say so she glanced at Saber, who stepped forward with a teasing smile.

"My, my, you are quite the opponent," she smiled, a sultry smile on her face. "If we were in any other situation, I might want to get to know you personally. But seeing as we're here…" Saber held her rapier up, the tip gleaming in the moonlight. "I hope you're ready, sweetie."

"Anya," Berserker grunted as he also stepped forward. His clawed gauntlets were flexing into fists, but he didn't move. It was almost as if he were waiting.

"You know what to do, I trust you," Tohsaka smiled slightly. She looked like a real magus, unlike Hanako.

"Saber," Hanako said, feeling the need to speak up hanging in the air. "Do what you need to."

"'Course Master!" Saber winked and Hanako felt some of the tension bleed out of her. Saber would be fine. Saber turned back to Berserker. "Now then…"

Saber didn't give Berserker a chance to react, pushing herself towards him as fast as she could, her sword colliding with his gauntlet within seconds.

Hanako had read that Berserker was one of the strongest Servant Classes, known for its Madness Enhancement and raw strength. She'd been concerned about Berserker especially once she summoned Saber, even more so now that she saw them in the flesh.

But underestimating Saber was never a good idea.

As Berserker swung his clawed gauntlet at Saber, she jumped back to avoid his reach before sliding back in close to swing her sword in the small opening Berserker left. Berserker swung at Saber again, wild and almost frenzied, but Saber was practically dancing in the street, somehow always avoiding a direct hit. It was a mesmerizing sight to behold and Hanako found herself holding her breath as she watched.

"My, is this the best you can do? I'm practically falling asleep here," Saber giggled as she landed out of Berserker's reach once more, twirling playfully as the wind played with her skirt. "Surely the mighty Berserker can do more than this."

Berserker let out a grunt before he suddenly began to move faster. Between one blink and the next, Hanako lost sight of the Servant until she heard Saber grunt. Turning towards her own Servant, Hanako gulped.

Berserker was attacking wildly, swings practically a blur that the only way Hanako could tell when they connected was the sound of Saber's sword as it connected with Berserker's armor covered fists. He was practically panting now and Hanako could almost see smoke leaving his lips.

Saber grunted as she parried Berserker's arm, using the opening to slide between his legs, her rapier striking out at one of them as she did so. Once Saber was a safe distance away, she stood up, her rapier held horizontally in front of her.

"Alright, then. I suppose I can give a performance when one is demanded," Saber smirked. Berserker whirled around to face her just as Saber parted her lips and began to sing.

Hanako had known Saber's voice was beautiful, but it was even more so when she was singing. Hanako couldn't say what Saber was singing, but the notes were expertly held and there wasn't a single crack to be heard in her voice.

Berserker slowed, just a bit, just enough to be noticeable, and Hanako startled as she realized that it must be connected to Saber's singing. They still moved forward to attack Saber, but it wasn't nearly as fast as it used to be.

Saber smiled, adjusting her grip on her rapier before she threw herself forward, ready to strike Berserker again. Hanako held her breath, hoping, praying, that this would work.

Berserker just barely parried Saber's rapier when he suddenly roared and the smoke leaving his mouth changed to fire.

Blue fire.

"Saber!" Hanako shouted, stumbling forward instinctively. The ground was cold under her bare feet, but she barely felt a thing. The only thing she could focus on was the blue fire getting closer and closer to Saber, as if in slow motion.

Before the fire could connect and burn Saber's beautiful skin, Hanako could only watch as Saber's stance changed. It was hard to describe, but in a second, it looked as if Saber was wielding not just one sword, but an entire whirlwind's worth of them.

The blades spun, glimmering in the moonlight and catching the blue fire, giving Saber the appearance of a beautiful dancer on a stage. The fire was starting to die down and once she was safe, Saber turned her body and cut across the back of Berserker's body. It didn't do any damage to their armor, but it did give Saber the leverage she needed to jump back a bit, just enough to stand in front of Hanako protectively.

"You're definitely quite the catch for a Servant," Saber complimented. Her grip was tightened on her sword, the only sign Hanako could see that Saber was nervous. "But I don't think continuing this much longer is a good idea for me. So sorry, sweetheart."

Berserker let out a growl, smoke escaping his lips. Hanako shivered, but not from the cold. She suspected Berserker's Madness Enhancement was worsening.

Saber's stance shifted once more and the air around her settled. Hanako could feel the magical energy surrounding her Servant increase and she sucked in a breath.

Saber was going to unleash her Noble Phantasm.

Berserker let out a howl, more smoke billowing from their lips.

Tohsaka was tense, staring at Saber.

But before Saber could unleash her Noble Phantasm—

Bang!

Hanako flinched as the sound rang in her ears. What was that? Where had it come from? She didn't know, but it was nearby so it had to be somewhere—!

"My apologies, but this fight isn't ending how any of you want it to."

The voice was steady and calm with barely any inflection at all. Hanako turned towards it, her eyes widening when she found the owner of the voice.

It was a woman, who stood on top of the building with 109 blazed across it, leaning against one bent knee. Her dark hair blew in the wind and a silver pistol was loosely held in her hand.

Standing beside her was a man that Hanako could just see had light gray hair, wearing a black coat with black fur on the collar, a black suit underneath with a brown orange tie, and black dress shoes. She could just see the pipe hanging from his lips, smoke rising from it lazily.

But what captured Hanako's attention the most was the magical energy she suddenly sensed.

"Saber!" she cried.

"Berserker!" Tohsaka yelled at the same instant.

The two Servants reacted to their Masters' voices, both watching the new Master and Servant pair carefully.

"Now, Beretta," the man sighed. He pulled the pipe from his lips and blew out the smoke as he spoke. "Was there not a better method than shooting at them?"

"Nope," the woman, Beretta, stated, popping the 'p' as she spoke. She twirled the gun on her finger, almost as if it were a toy, before she continued to speak. "Now, unless you four want Caster and I to make this a shorter war, get out of here."

The threat was clear.

"Saber," Hanako whispered, calling her Servant back.

"Alright, Hana," Saber agreed. Her eyes darted between Berserker and Caster, watching them carefully as she sheathed her sword. "Let's get out of here."

Hanako nodded, her gaze not leaving the battle field until she could no longer see a single person.

But she hadn't seen Tohsaka or Berserker walk away.

Centuries ago…

Date unknown

There was no point in her living anymore.

That was the only thought running through her mind. The world that had once seemed so bright and full of hope had gone dark and cold. There wasn't any point in her being here anymore.

She was alone, after all.

She was alone and her love was gone.

Perhaps she had died when her love did, it would make sense with how ghostlike she felt. It was as if everything that had made her herself had gone with her love, leaving a wisp of a ghost behind.

She would not be long for this world.

The thought brought the first smile to her lips since her love died.

The convent she found shelter in would be a fitting tomb for the rest of her life. After all, none of her talents meant a thing when faced with the eternity of rest awaiting her.

Oh, how she longed for it, for her love, and for this life to simply end.

She had lived.

Now she could go, at peace with herself. She didn't mind the thought of dying so much, not when she knew who awaited her on the other side.

But she couldn't bring it to herself. So for now, she would wait, as this pain killed her slowly, day by day.

It was what she deserved.

It's what she chose.

And there we are! You can see I'm developing a pattern now, I hope you all enjoy it! I really like writing this way, it feels like it gives all the characters more room to breathe, you know?

In any case, thank you once again to CandleFire45 and NSPunny for betaing, I couldn't have done this without you! And thank you to the creators who had to put up with my insistent questions to make sure personalities were correct. Hopefully I did the characters included here justice!

I'm not sure when I'll update next, but I hope it'll be soon! In any case, bye for now!