Fate: Beyond Journey's End
Summary: With the era meteor shower coming soon, Frieren supposed it was time to return as promised. After all, Himmel was holding onto an important item in the summoning spell she was going to attempt. However, none of them had ever expected her to summon someone quite like him. A journey of rediscovery, letting go, learning to love again and reconciliation begins at the end of an era.
Prologue: When one Journey Ends…
On the quiet of the morning, four adventurers sat in contemplative silence as the weight of the day settled on their lives. It had been 50 years since that fateful day, and tonight, they would finally make it to the spot that Frieren had promised to take them a lifetime ago after their adventure had come to a close.
"We'll be there by nightfall, just in time," Frieren announced with a small smile as she looked over the horizon from the hill she stood upon, able to see the reflective sheen of the small lake she had chanced upon about 300 years ago. Looking back, she watched her three companions leisurely stroll behind her, talking among themselves as the morning larks chipped in the distance.
"No respect for the elderly whatsoever," Himmel, now an old man, grumbled good-naturedly as a smile stretched across his face, watching his old friend continue forth with the same vigor as in his memory from so long ago. Truly, time hadn't come close to the ephemeral elf.
"She seems excited for once," Heiter, the elderly priest of their troupe, commented with a chuckle, wishing he had a stiff drink right about now. It would have made the week's trip a bit more fun if anything.
"Likely, Frieren has something up her sleeve," Eisen said stoically, knowing that their wayward companion only ever perked up like this for new magic. The dwarf warrior could see the bounce in her steps, her frame filled with energy usually reserved for new spells. She had even awoken early this morning to prepare. Truly, she was one of a kind.
Not much more was said as the party trudged through the open meadow, the four of them simply enjoying the peace of the wilds and the feel of the breeze upon their skin. For a week, they had relived their grand adventure and seen new people and places while reminiscing about the old days. Soon enough, the veil of night was upon them, and the four made their camp near the pristine waters of the small lake in the meadow nestled in the mountains.
"Honestly, I should have known you had some ulterior motives," Himmel said with an eyeroll and amused smile. It was part of her charm that Frieren was so efficient. Peacefully, he sat down and watched the elf work, observing how she meticulously surrounded the lake with a fine layer of iron sand and crushed silver dust.
"This really is the best place to watch the meteor shower," Frieren said as she slowly traced the circle, "Co-incidentally, it's also a wonderful nexus point for magic. I've been wanting to try this out for a little while now."
"Co-incidentally indeed," Heiter teased, laying on his back to look up at the stars, unconcerned. Eisen simply shrugged, following his friend to the ground. The realm of magic was as much as a mystery to him as well as to Himmel. Up-above a familiar bird came down as the shadow-dragon's horn was deposited in Frieren's hand, pristine as the day they took it from the Demon Lord's castle.
"So, what are you going to summon, Frieren?" Himmel asked as he watched the elf continue to work, always amazed at how the woman ever had her passions in mind. The old hero would always have an appreciation for magic despite not being able to use it. After all, it was magic that shaped his path to becoming a hero.
"Not a clue," Frieren said with a shrug, "The details of the spell were rather sparse. It could be anything. It simply said it would summon what the caster needed most for the future."
"And the horn?"
"Just a bundle of mana. It would be troublesome to not get some use out of it after all we went through to get it. Right?"
"Indeed," Himmel said with a chuckle, sitting down on the grass with his other friends. Frieren likewise laid down, a smile stretching across her face as the era meteor shower began in earnest, and her memories flashed before her eyes to the balcony of the Royal Palace.
It was a beautiful sight, watching the streaking trails of iridescent lights travel across the sky, illuminating the field in an array of prismatic colors. For the troupe, it was one last reminder of the time they had spent together under the starry sky so long ago.
"Truly, I'm thankful Frieren," Himmel said with a smile, his wizened eyes closing in thought to that fateful day so long ago, "To have one last journey at the end…It is as wonderful as I hoped it would be."
"I suppose it is much nicer out here at least," Frieren said with her own smile.
"Too bad we didn't bring booze," Heiter added with a grin.
"Corrupt priest," the three of them chimed in.
As the event came to a crescendo, Frieren sat up, excitement on her usually stoic face. It was time, and she opened up the grimoire with the spell. It was an unusual one, requiring a chant to power the ritual, but old magic like this was often mired in custom. Converting the horn of the shadow dragon into pure mana, she sent it into the lake, watching in satisfaction as the magic circle drawn in iron sand began to glow under the night sky. The other three sat up curiously.
"Let silver and steel be the essence…"
Magic began to saturate the area as the lake and circle billowed with otherworldly power, forcing the three men to brace themselves against the supernatural wind. Yet, the mage was calm. Everything was going according to her calculations. Surely this was going to work!
Then, the lake exploded.
Water splashed all over the meadow, leaving the once pristine lake an empty crater, and like the surrounding fields, the four were drenched to the bone.
"Ah," Frieren said, humming in thought as to why the spell would have failed. Perhaps she had messed up the configuration of the magic circle? She supposed she'd just have to try again in 50 years. The other three men could only sigh in resignation at her antics, smiling fondly.
However, their calm was suddenly broken.
"Well, this is surely a new experience," an unknown voice said, and the four of them quickly turned, their weapons already bared, a testament to their status as the party that once defeated the Demon King. The dust cleared, and ever so slightly, they relaxed as they laid their eyes upon the new visitor.
It was a man, broad in shoulders and likely around the age of his late twenties. He had a rather exotic appearance with slightly tanned skin and hair whiter than snow, his golden eyes piercing through the four with assured confidence.
It was a human, or at least he looked like a human. Yet, Frieren's mage instincts told her otherwise. There was almost an otherworldly nature to him, reminding her of her own people in some ways. A sense of timelessness seemed to surround him as he calmly observed his surroundings.
Yet despite his seemingly relaxed manner, his body told them otherwise. He was poised for battle at any moment, but held no bloodlust.
"How odd," Frieren commented as she jumped into the crater without warning. Her magesight could easily trace the line of mana from her to him, indicating that she had indeed managed to summon something.
"I see," the man equally countered as he stood up, dusting himself off. He towered over the diminutive elf, but she didn't seem all that concerned, "So you are my Master. Servant Archer at your service."
"Ha?" the elf mage eloquently stated as a contract was suddenly formed between them and a blazing emblem appeared on the back of her hand. Instantly, she could decipher the contract, and her interest was piqued, "A spirit…an immortal spirit from beyond the veil."
"You're quite perceptive Master," Archer said with a laidback smile, his head already downloading the information of the era he had been summoned to. It was quite an unusual place to be summoned, but Archer could not feel any connection to the Grail. That meant that this was an independent summoning, a feat only capable by a powerful magus.
Idly he wondered why he of all the reflections of EMIYA had been summoned to this strange world. In his lifetime, Shirou Emiya had gone through much of what EMIYA had, but he had never gone down the same path, having been warned by his future self to forgo the path of the hero entirely.
Naturally, he hadn't really listened to the tanned asshole, but he had taken his warning to heart. Thus, he spent his life fighting for others, learning about himself, and learning what it meant to be human once again. And at the end of his long journey, he had parted the world with a smile, his family surrounding him as he ascended into the realm of heroes.
Now, he had been called upon, but to what end, Shirou could not say. This era seemed relatively peaceful.
"It seems that I am intruding on an important event either way," Archer said kindly as he read the history of his Master's staff, understanding a bit more about the strange elf girl before him, "If you have need of me, simply call."
Without much else to say, the Servant of the Bow astalized, displacing him from even Frieren's sight. Yet, she could tell he was nearby and waiting. Frieren had so many questions, but it seemed that this was all she would be allowed at this time.
"Well," Himmel said with some mirth, ever able to go with the flow, "Definitely the best show of my life."
The trip back was uneventful given the circumstances. The four hadn't seen a hair of the strange spirit since his summoning, but Frieren could tell he was around, simply doing apparently nothing. Yet, the monsters that they had expected to run into every now and then seemed to disappear.
"I suppose our new guardian spirit is keeping the monsters away," Heiter said with certainty, "Despite his aloof nature, the signs of his work are quite clear to see."
"What do you make of him, Heiter?" Himmel asked with a speculative hum, "He seemed like a good lad, this Archer."
"Far from me to be allowed to judge a spirit returned from the dead," Heiter replied with a wide smile, "I'd rather the Goddess not smite me where I stand."
"She would smite you anyway, corrupt priest," Eisen rebutted, "Have you discovered anything of note, Frieren?"
"Flashes of memory here and there. He was likely once human…but I've yet to have a chance to ask him more," the elf replied with a yawn. Looking at the strange markings on her hand, she couldn't really discern much more other than they were powerful binding marks. And, they were not of this world. "But it's quite curious…"
"If you wanted to know more, I'm happy to answer," Archer suddenly said, materializing in front of the four of them, surprising Himmel and Heiter. Eisen and Frieren simply watched on impassively. "My apologies for my distance, but the monsters around here are quite voracious. I suspect they are attracted to the mana in the air."
"Ah. It may be because of you," Frieren said with a tilt of her head, "After all, your mana signature is quite large. Do you know how to suppress it?" Archer blinked in surprise, examining himself.
"Are you able to see my mana?" The diminutive elf nodded.
"It's wild and untamed, large enough to attract monsters like a moth to the flame."
"How embarrassing…perhaps then, this is my fault," Shirou said feeling a little silly. In life, it was one of his guiding principles as an Enforcer to ensure his own safety via concealment. Mana sensing wasn't necessarily a common skill, but it was almost guaranteed that anyone that was anyone knew how to do it. As a heroic spirit, his mana was noticeably larger than in life, and he hadn't been accounting for it subconsciously.
Like smoke, the sheer mana presence in the air dissipated, leaving the spirit to little more than a footnote to those not looking closely enough.
"Impressive," Heiter stated, "Few have the control needed to pull their mana in so closely. I'd wager that the average mage would figure you a warrior."
"It is quite good," Frieren agreed with an approving nod, "Not foolproof, but it would likely fool many. I will improve your technique later. For a mage, it's passable."
"What high praise," Himmel said with a smile, "To be complimented by the legendary mage herself…"
"Coming from the legendary hero, that feels somewhat condescending," Frieren countered good-naturedly, earning a hearty laugh from the old man.
"Thanks," Archer said, taking the revelations in stride with his own soft smile.
"Tell us about yourself Mr. Spirit," Heiter asked, his eyes curious as he took in the man's face properly in the sunlight. To those unaware, he looked nothing more than human, yet his own senses could feel the touch of the divine upon him.
"There's not much to say," Shirou said with a relaxed smile, "I'm a hero from forgotten history. No doubt you would have never heard my name. In life I achieved something somewhat notable and passed into the halls of legend. Through my Master's call, I have been summoned."
"Ah, but to know there is life beyond this one…it fills me with great joy," the priest answered sincerely, a deep weight lifted off his shoulders, "The Goddess truly is kind."
"Wonder if we'll end up there," Frieren pondered, having never really put much stock into the idea of an afterlife before. Likewise, Eisen, who had been raised by the tradition of the dwarves, had never followed a belief in life after death.
"I believe we will," Himmel declared happily, "Then we can all be together once again…" A silence pervaded over the clearing as the unsaid truth made itself apparent, though Frieren seemed less bothered by it than her companions.
"It'll be a very long time for me. Probably thousands of years," she stated nonchalantly, unable to comprehend the sad expressions. Perhaps it was a human thing. Shrugging, the woman walked onward, leaving the men behind.
"That girl…" Heiter said with a sad sigh, shaking his head.
"Sometimes we forget how long-lived Frieren truly is," Himmel said, his shoulders resigned, "We are likely just a speck of memory in her long life."
"I wouldn't say so," Archer interjected, remembering another girl who had traversed the literal pathways of time for eons to achieve an impossible dream, "You are, without a doubt, precious to her. She just hasn't quite come face to face with it yet. Despite her advanced age, she is young."
"She's well over a thousand years old," Eisen said.
"I know," Shirou said, his mind having deciphered her staff's history long ago. Frieren the Slayer, conqueror of the Demon King, apprentice to Flamme the Legendary Mage, killer of the most demons in all of history… "While she has been alive for a long time, she is just now learning to live."
"You speak as if you know her past," Heiter said, his brow furrowed, "But your words do contain wisdom. Perhaps it is the insight from the divine."
"Perhaps. But I shall now depart. Enjoy your time together while you can."
"Wait," Himmel said as his other two companions walked on to catch up with their wayward elf, his eyes sharp, "Tell me, Archer. Will you one day fade?"
"Only if my Master allows it, or if I am completely annihilated. For now, it seems I will be 'alive' for a long, long time," Shirou said, knowing that the thought of living for thousands of years was unfathomable to the regular human mind. He could always attempt to kill Frieren of course, but that course of action had no merit.
"I see," the hero said, his eyes softening, "Then I am glad. Please look after her in our stead. I fear that she will need it soon." Shirou carefully regarded the old man, able to see bits of Frieren's memories overlayed on the elderly man. In her mind, Himmel was still the same boisterous young man she had met all those decades ago, a timeframe that was but a blink of an eye in the elf's life.
"Your love for her is strong," Shirou noted with a sympathetic smile, understanding the man before him quite well.
"It always was," Himmel murmured, sadness and an undeniable fondness in his eyes, "Alas, I never worked up the courage. Heh. It's a bit pathetic looking back. I feared nothing of the Demon King because I knew my friends would be there. Yet to speak to the woman I fell in love with my truest feelings…" The old hero shook his head. "My part in her journey is at an end, so I humbly ask you to continue watching over her in my stead. It will let me rest easy knowing she will be cared for."
"You're quite trusting for only meeting me less than three days ago."
"Yet my feelings have never led me astray. Call it a hunch," Himmel said with a kind smile.
"Oi! Hurry up you two," Frieren called from atop the hill overlooking the meadow, her grin and waving hands highlighted against the falling sun. Likewise, Eisen and Heiter were waiting patiently.
"Sure, old man."
"From one old hero to another, I'm relieved."
A/N
It's been a while since I've really wanted to write something and publish it. While I've been writing for myself for a while, I've never felt the urge to re-publish something again until recently. As I've gotten older, perhaps the story of Frieren just speaks to me on another level.
