Fate: Beyond Journey's End

Summary: With the era meteor shower coming soon, Frieren supposed it was time to return. 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 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.


Chapter 3: A Winter in Morgenrot

"Show me another one!" Frieren cheered, her eyes shining with glee as she rubbed her cheeks against a small dagger produced by her familiar, amazed by the sheer craftsmanship and spell work laid onto the blade. According to Shirou, it wasn't really a notable blade, just a simple dagger belonging to a nameless royal during the Arthurian era from back in his world. It didn't do much other than increase the speed at which one perceived the world by about 3%, but the unique way that the artifact held onto the simple magical concept was fascinating.

"It's amusing seeing you fawn over what was essentially a trinket from my world," Shirou said with a laugh, curious how she would react to the tales of the more legendary armaments he possessed. She hadn't stopped pestering him about Kanshou and Bakuya since that day about three weeks ago.

"Artifacts that could continue to hold onto their own inlaid spells without continually being powered was a feat only achieved in the mythic area. I can hardly believe that this type of artifact was considered commonplace for you. This would fetch a small fortune today."

"In my time, magic had already faded from the world into obscurity. The ordinary man would never even believe in the concept of magic. Technology is what propelled humans from the Age of the Gods into the Age of Humanity," Shirou said as they continued towards the peak of the mountain. Luckily, it was still in the early summer months and the mountain tops were not yet blocked by the howling ice and winds.

"How sad," Frieren said as she looked at the ornate dagger held in her hand, "Thousands of years passed, and magic died out? That's a shame." Shirou shook his head.

"No, it didn't die. It simply went into hiding. Secrecy surrounds us who walk the moonlit path. If anyone else from my world were to come here, they'd probably throw a fit at the way magic is so openly wielded. We hide because magic became a stigma once, and the common folk hunted them down. Our associations still exist all over the world from continent to continent, but we hide in plain sight." He decided to leave out the part where it was common belief that the more that knew of your magic, the weaker it became. Mystery was intrinsic to their craft, a lesson he had never really taken to heart.

"Your magical society sounds like something Serie would agree with. She's widely considered the most powerful mage alive by the way," Frieren said with a frown, watching as the dagger in her hands dissipated into motes of light, "She believed that magic should only belong to the special few. Her views on magic are completely opposite of Flamme, my Master, who was her student before. I can see some of her philosophy in you," Frieren stated as they neared the cabin overlooking the mountain top. It was a humble little thing, a single room with a bed and simple amenities. In the harsh landscape of the mountains, it was perfect. Outside there was a neatly chopped stack of firewood already prepared, likely provided by the rangers that roamed the mountainside. They would rest here for the night before continuing onward.

"Would you say that's a bad thing?"

"Serie too, sees magic as only a tool. She loathes spells she deems as superfluous."

Shirou could understand that, but in his mind, every tool had a purpose, no matter how small. After all, someone had deemed his projection as useless once, but he had turned it into the core of his legend.

"I confess I find it hard to think about it otherwise. After all, I am a mage only suited to combat. I cannot make anyone happy with that. Despite all the people I wish to save, my magic can only kill."

"But that's just the difference between you and her despite her being alive for thousands of years," Frieren stated simply, looking out over the far horizon at the peak of the mountains, able to spot the villages and towns down below, "All your magic is for the sake of others. That sets you apart."


The morning sun beams streamed seamlessly through the small cracks in the wooden cabin as the day began to rise, and Shirou was already awake, preparing for the day. Behind him on the bed was an unmoving lump who had somehow managed to tangle not only herself but also the bed sheets into the blanket she had used for the night.

"Good grief," Shirou said with an exasperated sigh as he watched the morning sun rise higher, looking over his shoulder again an hour later at the slovenly nature in which his Master slept every night. It was a wonder how she ever survived by herself sometimes. "It is time to rise, Frieren."

"Donnnn't wannnna," she slurred out, rolling in her sleep to pull the covers tighter. Even if it was the summer months, the chill of the night had been harsh on the mountaintop. They were blessed that no new snow had fallen through the night, leaving the trails easily traversable.

"I'm not cooking breakfast until you're awake."

Her attitude immediately did a one-eighty as she sat up, ramrod straight.

"I'm up. Pancakes today please."

Shirou snorted in disbelief. Sometimes he swore the only thing that motivated this lazy elf was food and magic. He should have known better than to spoil her with recipes from his own life.

"Only after you wash yourself and comb your hair," he scolded, shaking his head at the essentially immortal elf. If there was one thing he really missed, it would be modern baths and showers. The cleaning spell was decent enough, but nothing really beat the feeling of hot water on your skin after a long day. "Did you sleep in while you were adventuring north too?"

"A few times," Frieren replied, looking away guiltily. Shirou rose his eyebrow at the way she managed to look completely innocent despite clearly being the culprit. "The rest of the party didn't mind…I think."

"Uh huh," he replied, already mixing the ingredients for their morning. He supposed that no one was perfect after all. Even Saber, despite all her royal upbringing, could truly be the embodiment of gluttony given the right incentives.

"You're quite diligent aren't you, Shirou?"

"I'm used to being self-sufficient. My father, after he saved me, contracted a debilitating illness that ravaged him till the day he died. I was young when he passed," Shirou said, "My neighbor, a girl barely older than me, took it upon herself to be my 'sister' and raise me."

"Something tells me she added more work onto you." He gave her a pointed stare before turning back to the stove.

"She did," Shirou confirmed with a smile, "But she made sure I wasn't ever truly alone. Taiga may not have been able to cook or clean or really even function as an adult, but she loved me in a way that only family can. Even though no blood was shared between us, she made sure she could provide some sort of normalcy in my life."

Frieren watched the serenity that stretched across her companion's face, studying it for a moment. Elves were fundamentally different from humans. They lacked the sense of urgency and depth of feeling that humans could experience, rendering them rather unfeeling compared to humans and even other races like dwarves. Even their family units shared this dysfunction, leading to their current predicament of slow extinction.

Problems that would seem like imminent issues were treated as minor inconveniences. If it wasn't going to be immediately catastrophic, they could wait a few months or years or decades. Elves were known to procrastinate, given that their lifespan was essentially forever.

Shirou wouldn't be surprised if Frieren had decided that some days weren't worth waking up for and just slept the day away. Thus, he felt as if it was his duty to ensure that the wayward elf didn't waste too much time if it could be helped.

"Do you have a destination in mind when we reach the bottom, Frieren?"

"If I recall right, there's an unconquered dungeon to the west of Morgenrot. It was said to be so difficult that even the Hero of the South declared it to be unconquerable before he departed on his journey," Frieren said, brushing her hair carefully, "I got the urge to explore one…My party liked to do that a lot." Shirou nodded, not needing any further elaboration. "Plus, I'm hoping we'll find a really rare grimoire in there."

"One can hope," Archer replied with a wave of his hand, flipping the pancake to perfection. He was glad that the mountain berries they had foraged on their way up the mountain were in season. They would add a freshness to their otherwise heavy morning meal.


It took another three weeks to descend down the mountain, but it had gone without issue. By the time they came into view of the borders of Morgenrot, it had been already four months since they had traveled from the Royal Capital, and the autumn season was already in full swing as the dying leaves painted the roads golden hues of orange, yellow and red. It contrasted well against the patches of green sticking out from the white powdered snow still lying about from the mountains.

"We will likely have to stay in the area for the coming winter," Frieren said with a hum, looking at her map to determine they were still about two weeks out from the city borders, "The areas to the west are largely mountainous as well. Getting caught outside during the winter would be unwise, as the dungeon is also on the far side of the mountain range near the sea."

Shirou nodded. It was a stark reminder that mankind had not yet conquered the elements and bent them to their collective will. It was only natural that logic dictated they stay in locations that could ensure their security during the winter months.

"Has no magic been created to help in bad winter weather?"

Frieren paused in thought, finding moments like this that really challenged her long-standing views of the world rewarding to explore. For much of recorded history, it was simply a matter of survival to stay put and indoors. Yet, Shirou's question beggared an unspoken truth of the future.

"I take it that in your time, worries such as rain and snow and such were an afterthought in travel?"

"For the most part yes. They are still considered of course, "Shirou admitted, "But through the various advances of mankind, they conquered the skies and seas. What was once thought to belong only to the realm of the gods became commonplace. The average person could experience what it was like to fly above the clouds or delve into the deepest depths, and some even explored the moon. Deserts that stretched on for miles could be traversed in a matter of hours, and most mountains have been climbed and explored at least once."

"How amazing," Frieren said sincerely, unable to even think about a spell that would allow her to fly all the way to the moon, "And therein lies the issue. Magic relies on the imagination of the caster. If it cannot be imagined, it simply cannot be. It find it hard to even make a spell to defend against the rain. My mind simply sees it as a force of nature to contend with."

"I don't really get that honestly."

"If you were born in a time without all the miracles you describe, could you formulate a picture of it without first seeing it? Would you have believed that you could reach the moon under your own power?" Shirou shook his head.

"No. I don't possess that innovative spirit that my fore bearers had. Despite having my legend carved into the spirit of humanity, I may as well be a small footnote. My contributions pale in comparison."

Frieren smiled, nodding her head in understanding, looking up at the sky in thought. That was the wonderful thing about humanity. Individually they were weak, inferior and lacking compared to any other race out there. Yet, it was the collective will of humanity that ever strove to thrive.

"It was the ingenuity of humans that propelled them to learn flight magic only about fourty years ago," Frieren said with fondness, "They sought to decipher the mysteries of the magic to combat demons and studied it with endless zeal. It's quite amazing. In only a short few decades, they turned the skies into their domain as well. Even the elves who have harnessed magic for millennia never bothered…Well maybe Serie knew."

"Us humans always were a greedy and ambitious race."

Frieren smiled, remembering Heiter say something similar once. Despite all his faults and disparaging on the nature of humanity, he never once turned back on his duty.

"Perhaps. Yet that part of humanity led to this era of peace."


Half a year had passed already since the death of Himmel the Hero, and the winter months had come in full force, blanketing the town of Morgenrot with a thin layer of fresh snow each morning courtesy of the surrounding mountains from the north and west. Without a doubt, staying in the town was the correct call as the ferocious winds and hail would have stymied all their efforts to advance.

"You could have told me your birthday passed a month ago," Frieren said with a pout, earning a raised brow from her traveling companion who had just returned from running an errand for the local bakery, baskets full of freshly baked bread on each of his sides.

"I would have thought you wouldn't have cared," Shirou replied with a shrug. As a dead spirit, it was hardly something worth noting. The elf pouted some more despite understanding where her vanguard was coming from.

"I used to not…But Himmel, Heiter and Eisen always insisted on celebrating them. They said they were important days to honor, especially for friends and companions," Frieren admitted tapping her fingertips together, "And they always had cake…"

"So, you just want to eat cake then," Shirou replied with a wry smile, earning an innocent whistle from the white-haired elf, "What a spoiled master I have. Very well, I'll ask the baker for ingredients for a cake tomorrow. It'll be much cheaper if I make it myself. They do owe me a favor after all." Shirou also had his own pride as a cook. It wouldn't sit right with him to simply buy a cake if he could make one that was potentially better.

"Yay," Frieren cheered with a satisfied smile, flopping back into bed with a grimoire in her hands. She had recently gotten her hands on one with a spell that allowed for smooth paving of cobbled roads and intended on finishing it tonight.

"What about you, Frieren?"

The girl stilled, frowning at the question, remembering a similar question being posed to her by Himmel as they traveled north. The party had been rather insistent on everyone having their birthdays celebrated.

"We're off to fight the Demon King," Himmel's memory stated with a smile, "Why not celebrate while we still can? It's the day you were brought into this world, so it must be important."

"The twenty-second day of the first month of the year," she replied slowly, earning a nod from the warrior chef.

"Do you prefer any particular flavor for cake?" Frieren smiled at the question.

"Anything sweet is good. But I do enjoy sour flavors on occasion. I'm sure anything you make will be excellent."


The whizzing sound of flying arrows punctuated the soft afternoon while Frieren watched from beneath a nearby tree, tome in hand. Now more than halfway through winter, the days were reaching the shortest in the season, and with less ability to go out, the pair had decided to stretch their legs for the afternoon after being cooped up for a week after a fierce blizzard had passed through the town.

"Were you always talented at archery, Shirou?" the elf asked as she watched the man sink arrow after arrow into the tree trunk. Without fail, he would never miss, even able to hit the same mark when he looked back to talk to her. His title as an archer was not just for show, clearly. For over half an hour, he had simply fired arrow after arrow into the forest, each one landing in the exact same position each time against each trunk. She would have mistaken it for magic if her ability to sense mana wasn't so fine-tuned.

"Yes," he answered simply, "To the point where I found it essentially useless to continue to pursue, much to the disappointment of my peers."

"Why is that?" the elf asked, "Most would take advantage of their innate talents." Shirou shrugged, releasing his summoned kyudou bow he used for meditative purposes sometimes. Likewise, the constructed arrows dissipated into motes of light, leaving only their marks upon the trees.

"I simply found that there was no room for growth," the archer replied plainly, "I preferred not to stagnate, and thus I gave it up."

Frieren hummed in thought. That sort of thinking wasn't very common for elves. Many elves found a niche and stayed there their entire lives. Even she was guilty of this to some extent. She had been content to sit in the same place for over five hundred years after all.

Thinking back to her master, Frieren too had always sensed the legendary mage had always been looking towards the horizon. There was always another goal to meet or dream to strive for. No matter what, Flamme had always pushed towards greater heights. Perhaps that was just something intrinsic to humans.

"Is that why you took up the sword?" the elf asked. She still found it amusing that despite being an archer, Shirou preferred swords.

"No," he said with a true smile, his mind casting back to that fateful day in his shed so long ago, "Someone dear to me taught me. It's because of her that I became the man I am. Even now, I do not believe I could defeat her in a fair battle."

"Tell me about her," Frieren said as she leaned back to stare at the blue sky, smiling at the way Shirou's voice filled with warmth. He paused, taking a moment to gather his thoughts.

"She was a serious woman in battle and the most reliable ally one could have. However, underneath all her bravado...I think you two would have gotten along famously," Shirou said easily, his smile never leaving, "You'd definitely agree with one of her favorite lessons."

"What is that?"

"Hunger is the enemy." Frieren laughed. It was a lesson she could indeed get behind.


A/N

Thanks everyone for your support! It's been nice seeing everyone's favorites and reviews. This was just another quick slice of life chapter exploring more about how Frieren attempts to learn about humans and the slowly developing rapport between our two protagonists. We'll be having some fun next chapter so stay tuned.