Chapter 2: The Beginning II
As always, any tension Sakura felt melted away as soon as she drifted into sleep. The struggles of the waking day were blocked out by the sounds of birds chirping and the smell of healthy trees and flowers. It didn't take her long to find Atto, either, and as soon as he saw her, he pulled her into another of his embraces. Sakura sighed blissfully as she snuggled into those robes, their white hairs mingling together.
The duo finally pulled apart while holding onto one another's free hand and began walking in tandem towards the brighter area of the woods. Their staffs tapped along the ground before Sakura raised hers, mumbling a little spell. A light gust emanated from the bud's tip that caused the branches around them to rustle, allowing the sun's rays to reach a spot of freshly planted flower buds. Magic now felt as simple as breathing to the girl in white, and at times, she felt more comfortable speaking in Quenya than Japanese.
She permitted herself another couple seconds to enjoy her time with him here in the garden, then came the time to talk business. "It's happening," Sakura began, her smile slipping away involuntarily. She felt a slight tension coming from her Atto but pressed on. "Ten years have passed since the last Grail War, the span they said it would take for the Holy Grail to be ready again. And I think… I think I can feel it, Atto. There's something in the air, something I sense when I'm near certain spots… Things are happening in Fuyuki."
She gently pulled away from Atto who appeared deep in thought. But his eyes were sharp as ever and trained on her bare hands. "Your sister's have already manifested, then?"
"Tonight, I'm pretty sure." Of course, he figured that part out all by himself. And the subtext… Sakura knelt down to tend to a limp-looking turquoise flower. "She's been keeping herself busy so much I haven't exactly had a chance to check, but… seeing as she insisted Mother and I relocate to our grandparents' home, I'd say we're on the cusp of it." Cusp… She'd learned all kinds of words under his apprenticeship.
But it was the things she hadn't learned which weighed on her. Ten years, and she was still no closer to finding out what had happened in that one year she had… spent away from the Tohsaka house. She meditated both here and in the waking world, visited Uncle Kariya at least twice a week, had ventured as close to the Matou house as she could without arousing suspicion, and she had nothing to show for her efforts other than a few blurry images and mutterings. No thread that connected these… flashes, no sudden epiphany, nothing. At Atto's suggestion, Sakura had asked Mother once, seven years ago, but all that got her was a sad gaze and being told a young girl like her shouldn't be burdened with such knowledge.
Well, now Sakura was sixteen, but she still hadn't learned why her father had [passed her off] let her live with the Matou's or what life was like under that roof. Attoconfessing that he, too, had made little progress in recovering his own memories might've been of some comfort, but the knowledge both hurt her and spurred her on. The young wizard-in-training had developed a theory that their amnesias were somehow linked; if one regained their memories, so would the other.
Besides, he had done so much for her she owed it to this wise, paternal man to help him find out who he really was. …Even if it might mean they had to part ways.
Sakura stood up and squared her shoulders. "My preparations are nearly complete. Seals or not, I'm going to attempt the ritual at the first chance I get."
For a while, her teacher simply prodded at the soil with his staff, frowning underneath his beard. Then he asked, "And you are certain about this, yelya? There are certain paths which once you embark upon, you cannot go back. I sense this is one of them."
She took a deep breath, then nodded. "There are still so many questions, so many blank spaces in my memories, and I want answers. No, I need answers, Atto." She idly traced the rims and knots of her staff again, her eyes on the bud at the top. "This… this may be my best chance to find them. Otherwise, I may have to wait sixty more years," a little grin flitted across Sakura's face, "and by then, I'd probably look as old as you."
"Oh, you would certainly wear your age better than I." Sakura giggled, relieved to see him smiling again. "But you needn't seek answers alone, Sakura, and I am not your sole ally."
Her mood dimmed again. "Big Sister already has her Seals and has spent all of her time preparing to win the Grail War. She doesn't need my problems stacked on top of her own, not when I can handle this myself and when Father has pinned all of his hopes and faith on her." Sakura kept her tone neutral for the most part, but she couldn't quite keep an edge from slipping in. Guilt flickered inside of her, both because she didn't like arguing with Atto, and because of, well…
Things had become kind of tense in the Tohsaka house these past few years.
Atto was watching her carefully, no doubt having puzzled all of her thoughts and plans out by now. Sakura knew with one glance in those blue eyes that he didn't agree with her, not completely, at least; sometimes, she even wondered if he was deliberately putting not enough effort into regaining his memories. She couldn't imagine for the life of her, why; that big blank spot in her mind was so overwhelming she had to do something. She just had to know the truth.
"Well, if you truly wish to see this through, it'd be best for you to begin the ritual at the most opportune moment for you." They both smiled again after what seemed like a lifetime; Atto, too, didn't enjoy there being tension between them. And he always supported her, no matter whether they agreed or not. "Magic is a powerful force but still subject to circumstance and the turns of life. If you attempt your summoning prematurely, much less when you lack a crucial element…" he nodded to her hands.
Sakura eyed them, too, disappointed that the Grail apparently deemed her unworthy. A hand squeezed her shoulder. "But I believe you will find a way, Sakura. And if not through your magic, then through your will. Do you still remember your first lesson?"
She giggled. "How could I ever forget?" The talents one was born with both in casting magic and in every aspect of life could certainly do much, but they could only go so far. What truly mattered was one's intent and ability to persevere.
Their discussion concluded, he ambled over to a particularly broad tree and sat down against its trunk, propping up his staff next to him. Sakura's legs carried her automatically over so she could mimic his actions, and the old man lifted his left arm so she could snuggle up by his side, the arm curling around her shoulders. All of the girl's tension faded away from the warmth of the sunlight beaming through the leaves above her and the warmth of his embrace. She burrowed herself a little more into his shoulder, allowing her ears to pick up on that sweet, steady heartbeat of his. Her eyes fluttered shut even as she registered a pull that had since become familiar to Sakura. It was a sign that she was about to wake up.
In moments like this, however, she couldn't help but wonder why this "dream" couldn't be her reality. It hurt to leave this forest, especially after it had become so vibrant. It hurt to leave him. It hurt to leave this feeling of being so free, so… happy… and return to the waking world where such heavy feelings existed. Feelings that seemed to grow with each passing day. Feelings brought about by the Holy Grail War.
As if he was reading her mind, her Atto uttered five words: "Until our next meeting, yelya."
Sakura beamed at him. Saying that had become a habit of his whenever she was about to wake up. A promise that there would be a next meeting, no matter what. She had loved it when she had been a sad little girl, she loved it at sixteen years of age. She loved it so much that even as she slipped away from him, she always answered it the same way:
"Tenna enta lúmë, Atto."
"And on the wind, Alyx heard one more question…" Sleep was closing in around her, but she couldn't help but listen a little longer to that voice. She imagined her standing in front of a sunrise, a white cloak with red underneath billowing gently in the wind, black hair with red tips reaching her neck as she smiled with brilliant silver eyes… Eyes she hoped her own would match one day…
"What are you?"
Rin woke up sore.
"That dream… A Servant's?" She shook her head trying to dredge up stuff about contracts with Heroic Spirits. That damnable clock hadn't woken her up, but as she blearily read the hands, the new Master figured she would've slept right through it anyway. "9:05, huh…?" She tried to remember if she had set the clocks back to the proper time before turning in, then gave up. "Either way, I'm definitely too late for school. Might as well skip it today…"
She forced herself to sit up and push back the covers, her eyes catching the dual red markings on her hands. "Oh, man…" Rin groaned as the events of last night came rushing back. "So, not only do I miss my chance of acquiring Saber as my Servant twice over, but I'm stuck with an amnesiac jerk for an Archer and a plucky bishoujoLancer." She almost scowled at the last word, but a jolt of pain through her cranium made her grimace instead. "No wonder I've got such a migraine…" She rubbed her temples but got up anyway.
Every step from her bedroom, in and out of the bathroom and down the stairs was a chore. Rin felt like someone had tied a bunch of rocks to her limbs. "The summoning must've burned up all of my mana. She tried to stretch and winced. "I'm so drained…" Her path took her past the living room door, and she paused to it properly back on its hinges. Opening it revealed that the room had been completely restored. The damaged furniture was repaired (like they'd never been broken, too, Rin noted), the books and other paraphernalia were on shelves (she'd sort them in their proper places later), even the floor and carpets were spotless. Rin hummed in approval. "Guess they're not so bad after all."
A gust of wind swept behind her, and for a moment, Rin thought she saw rose petals drifting around her. "Good morning, Master!" She hopped away yelping from that sudden familiar voice, nearly tumbling down the stairs if not for Lancer X grabbing her arm. "Whoops, my bad!"
"What are you doing running up behind me, you dolt?!" Rin snapped even as she steadied herself. She would not go down in Grail War history as a Master who died on the first day by tripping down the stairs and breaking her neck.
"Sorry about that, Weiss-uh, Master!" The unfamiliar name rattled Rin a little, also helping her shake some lingering cobwebs inside her mind. An apologetic Lancer X was fussing over her until satisfied that she had not in fact crippled her Master. "Um, Archer's got breakfast ready. We were just waiting for you to wake up!" She made to pull Rin along to the dining room but stopped and let her go. So, she can show a little tact.
As they walked, Rin saw another clock up on the wall that read 9:18, reminding her of an important question. "Lancer X, do you know what time it is?"
"Yeah, 9:18." Lancer X looked back at her curiously. "Did you know by the way that all the clocks around here were running an hour fast? It was kinda confusing, especially when my Scroll was telling me a different time. So, I changed the clocks back to the right time last night." She reached into the pouch on her belt and pulled out some odd white rectangle.
Rin was about to ask how that thing qualified as a "scroll" before the Servant pressed a yellow diamond on it, making two ends slide apart vertically and reveal a blue image with a digital time on front. "It's sorta like a cell phone and a computer rolled into one," Lancer X explained to her visibly baffled Master, "and I guess part of getting summoned here means that it syncs up with the systems in this area, like the time zone. Pretty cool, huh?"
But the magus girl quickly adopted a haughty look. "No technology could ever hope to match the benefits of magecraft." She quickly marched on, not keen on reminiscing about that confounding flip phone squirrelled away in her trunk. She knew Kirei had gifted it simply to mock her.
So, she led the way and found indeed a fully prepared breakfast waiting for her on the dining table. "The sun rose a while ago," Archer noted as Rin sat down, teapot and cup at the ready. "Aren't we a little lazy, Master?" Rin didn't even bother dignifying that with a response, but she did accept the tea he offered.
And the first sip she took was the first good thing to happen today. "This is delicious," she praised sincerely. She regretted the compliment quickly, though, upon seeing Archer's smug expression. "Wipe that smirk off your face, will you? You should consider yourself lucky if I praise you at all."
"Eh, I prefer coffee to tea, but a little extra goes a long way." Lancer X chirped before sipping from her own cup.
Archer bent down to whisper to his Master, "Cream and fivesugars." Rin's eyes snapped up at him, then stared dully at the humming Servant in red. That explains so much.
Still, she proceeded with breakfast and was pleasantly surprised again at its presentation and taste. It seemed she'd picked up a talented chef for her Servant. Despite amnesia- At that, Rin paused in her meal and asked, "Have you made any progress with finding out Archer's name?"
"Nope," Lancer X popped the "p" while Archer shook his head. "After we cleared up the living room-"
"Nicely done with that, by the way," he interrupted his partner before addressing Rin. "Ruby might be from another world, but her speed alone proves she's a worthy member of the Lancer class."
The Servant of the Spear smiled at him with a slight blush. "Aw, thanks! But hey, you're the one who put all the furniture back together, Archer. I just gathered the pieces and swept everything up while you fixed them." Rin cleared her throat; much as she appreciated her Servants' competence in cleaning up a mess, they had more important business. Lancer X recognized this quickly, too. "Anyway, we sorta did Twenty Questions to try and jog Archer's memory. He told me his likes and dislikes, little trivia, but nothing really personal." She pouted in her seat. "And he refused to show me his weapons until you woke up. Meanie."
"I'd rather not unveil our abilities and have our Master order us to fix up more rooms," Archer quipped. Privately, he'd needed to keep his guard up even more. The red-cloaked girl was much more attentive and quick-thinking than her personality might've suggested, and said personality made it harder to close himself off. Ru-Lancer X had also been happy to tell him a little in turn about her old life and world, "Remnant." He nearly slipped up a few times during their question-answer game due to enjoying himself. A little bit.
Rin mulled this over while finishing her food before accepting the explanation. "Fine, I'll come up with something more concrete to restore your memory, Archer. But for now, it seems like you two can work together well enough, can't you?" They confirmed her query, and that development was a good start. It wouldn't do her much good if her Servants couldn't cooperate enough to defeat the enemy teams, after all. She had Archer pour her some more tea, then told them. "Be ready to leave soon. As soon as I've freshened up, I'm going to tour the city with you."
"Sure!" Lancer X hopped to her feet and started stretching. "I know we're only allowed to fight at night, but I was hoping we'd get to stretch my legs before we get to that part."
Archer, though, busied himself with gathering the used tableware. "One last thing, do you insist on us addressing you as Master? It gets a little tedious after a while."
"Oh, yeah, can't we call you by your first name? Please?"
Rin paused on her way out. On one hand, it was a good way to remind them of the hierarchy between them, but on the other… one glance in Lancer X's hopeful eyes, and she turned away with a blush. "Do what you want, I already introduced myself to you last night. Assuming you even remember my name…"
"But of course," Archer smirked. "Rin Tohsaka. Rin… yeah, that's what I'll call you from here on. It's a fitting name for you."
Lancer X cheered. "Alright, we're making team-building progress!"
Rin simply hurried up her way to the bathroom lest they see her flaming cheeks.
Shirou drummed a pen against his table. Despite it being math class, his attention kept slipping to this morning.
It had started off simple enough with his Big Sis and Bull, Shiba, Uhei and Biscuit going gaga all over his rolled omelets, then on the way to Homurahara, he'd noticed one of the houses a couple blocks from their home had been smashed halfway to smithereens. Yellow tape had been stretched all over, and according to what he overheard from the police, no one had been injured. Their talk about it being just another "gas leak," however, just didn't sit right with Shirou. Maybe he was just overthinking it due to his lessons with Maiya, but from what he saw, the damage didn't match up with what you'd expect of a gas explosion.
He closed his eyes, already imagining his aunt standing over him with her arms crossed and that look in her green eyes bearing down on him. Right, set aside heroic fantasies, focus on the current task. Shirou returned to copying down the current calculation. But he couldn't help but think I hope her trip to Dubai's going smoothly. She's been looking pretty down the last couple weeks, come to think of it…
Class was soon over, and the bell for lunch sounded, but Shirou remained at his seat even while everybody else milled around. Issei walked over. "Everything okay, Emiya? Let's eat."
"Oh, sorry, Issei," Shirou looked up at him apologetically, "but I think I'll have lunch in the cafeteria today."
The president must've thought something was up, and maybe something was, because he pointed out, "It's not like you to eat there. Is something wrong?"
Shirou leaned against the back of his seat. "Don't think so." When Issei didn't seem convinced, he added, "My aunt's out of town right now. Guess I can't help but think about her." Shirou wasn't sure if he was trying to convince only his friend with that statement.
It seemed to placate Issei, though, and a deep voice called out to him. "Excuse me," both boys turned to see Kuzuki-sensei standing outside the doorway, "Is Ryuudou in here?"
Sometimes, it surprised Shirou how quietly their ethics teacher could move around. Souichirou Kuzuki was a fairly tall man and dressed typically in a dark green suit and tie, his eyes seeming cold behind his glasses. Still, many of the students and a couple other teachers appreciated his quiet no-nonsense nature as a foil to Bis Sis Fuji's exuberance. Kuzuki-sensei also never doled out punishments for no good reason.
"Oh, yes." Issei promptly straightened and walked across the classroom. "Can I help you, Kuzuki-sensei?" Shirou in turn got up from his seat and headed out. It was probably a matter for the student council and thereby none of his business.
It didn't take him long to reach the cafeteria, and while he was picking out his meal, a feminine voice called out to him. "Ah, you're giving the chef's choice for lunch a shot today?" Shirou turned to see Mitsuzuri waving at him with a smile. "It's rare for you not to be eating with the student council president."
"I guess it is," the boy admitted before retrieving his ticket. He pondered just saying goodbye and heading for the meal, then relented. Mitsuzuri wasn't the type of person who easily let a chance at small talk slip away. "So, how's your brother? Still working up the courage to ask Sakura out?"
"He'd say he's making progress," Ayako laughed as she followed and placed her own order, "at the speed of a melting iceberg. Still, Sakura hasn't gotten tired of him yet as a sparring partner."
Shirou smiled a little. "I can't imagine her being mean to anyone. She has the kindness of a saint."
"And the patience of an old woman, but you're one to talk about kindness, Mr. 'Patches-Up-Half-The-Academy-By-Himself' Emiya." He rolled his eyes before collecting his tray, Mitsuzuri doing the same. "It's a damn shame Sakura won't switch to archery; I could really do with a reliable second. Especially with Matou going all drill sergeant on the freshman boys."
"Why's that?" Shirou wondered as they headed for an empty table. Shinji had a temper and a bit of a nasty streak, but he wasn't that bad. Not unless something in particular set him off.
Already seated, Mitsuzuri whispered to him the reason why: "Way I heard it, Tohsaka shot him down like a one-winged duck."
"Tohsaka?" He paused while pulling out his chair.
"Keep it down!" Mitsuzuri hissed waving her chopsticks at him. He covered his mouth and quietly sat down, then she sighed at a regular volume. "Anyway, Matou's been on edge since yesterday, when means I've got to keep track of him during sessions. It's so exhausting."
A sympathetic Shirou watched her slump. "Yeah, Shinji doesn't take not getting what he wants well."
"No kidding." She stirred her ramen about with her chopsticks. "Rumor has it he's scheming to get payback on Tohsaka." Her part of the conversation was put on pause while she slurped up some noodles.
"Nah, knowing Shinji, he'll just keep his distance and sulk about getting rejected."
"Maybe, but if they cross paths, who knows what'll happen?" Ayako paused with her noodles at the confused sound Emiya made. "Haven't you noticed her popping up every now and then during our sessions? Sure, you quit now, but before that…"
"Well, maybe, but are you sure she's not just keeping an eye on Sakura? Our clubs' time slots have always been close together." What he said was true, but the archery captain still eyed her former subordinate half-lidded, well aware of where Tohsaka's gaze would linger while she was watching. Can tell when my baby brother's crushing on someone, doesn't recognize when he's the target of a crush. Ayako sighed to herself as they quietly ate their lunch. Well, it's not like I'm one to talk… Right, I heard Tohsaka was sick today. Being absent doesn't stop her from being a hot topic around here.
As the school day went on, a completely healthy (save for some lingering mana fatigue) Rin ambled seemingly alone through the Shinto district. In reality, both of her Servants were right behind her in spirit form, thereby undetectable to the common man. Miyama Town had already been cased thoroughly enough, the only real notable things for Rin being a postcard from Kyoto (she'd hidden her smile at Kotone's familiar handwriting) and a brief peek inside the local pawn shop; the usual stoic woman wasn't behind the counter today. Maybe it was her day off. Eh, it was still a good chance to stock up on gems anyway…
Her latest purchase had also prompted the current conversation. "And this 'Dust' has all kinds of different elemental powers?" Rin asked beneath her breath to make sure no passer-by could hear her and wonder if she was crazy. But having her familiars stay in spirit form both drew less attention and made her expend less mana. Granted, the latter was no more than standard cost for one as she'd been told, but Rin didn't like unnecessary expenditure in general. Mother had taught her better than that.
'Yup,' Lancer X's bubbly voice echoed in her ears despite her discorporate state. 'One element for each, be it crystal or powder. Four basic types are Fire, Water, Lightning and Wind, but there are plenty of other combinations, like Gravity or Rock, that either emerge naturally on Remnant or are artificially created. Can't tell you much about the science behind it all, Weiss could've given you a full presentation with like fifty slides on it. But I do know that in older times, people used to call Dust 'Nature's Wrath,' too.'
Rin hummed thoughtfully to herself, also registering her Servant's utterance of a particular name again. "This Weiss, is she a friend of yours? What makes her so knowledgeable about Dust?"
'Oh, she's my BFF! …Not that she'd ever admit it out loud, but we trained together as partners, and she's had my back more times than I can count, both in hunting Grimm and with homework. Anyway, she's the second-oldest daughter and heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, the biggest business on Remnant when it comes to mining, purifying and uh, what was it again…? Oh yeah, merchandising Dust.' Rin hid her snort behind a cough; her best friend was named "White Snow?" She could imagine what the girl looked like. '…Weiss grew up learning all kinds of stuff about Dust, and she kinda took every chance she got to remind us of that.' Lancer X went on unaware of her Master's thoughts. 'You kinda remind me of her, Rin.'
"Oh, really?" Rin's amusement waned slightly, unsure if that was a compliment or an insult.
A different voice chimed in. 'Let's see, an heiress with a know-it-all attitude and an unwillingness to acknowledge someone as a friend…' Oh, she knew Archer was smirking in spirit form. 'Oh yes, I can see a few similarities.'
Rin glared sideways at where he ought to be, but Lancer X spoke first. 'Hey, she's not that bad when you get to know her! She's smart, got good manners for high society, even if she can be a little sarcastic around me and other people who get on her nerves… and she's a total sweetheart around cute things, like doggies or babies!'
'…I'm not sure who you're describing here, Weiss or Rin.'
"Getting back to Dust…" Rin growled through her teeth, refusing to rise to the bait. She had a healthy appreciation for doggies- er, dogs!
'We use the energy inside Dust for just about everything. Power for machines, transport, fighting…' Lancer X, luckily, seemed eager to talk a little more about her world. 'Some infuse Dust into their weapons directly or weave it into their clothing to use the energies inside it. My friends and I even once had to fight a man who channeled Dust power by literally stabbing the crystals into his own body.'
The magus paused in mid-step, noting idly how a few more people were walking about in this area. Thus, she switched to a mental conversation. 'That sounds… unhealthy, to say the least.'
'Yeah, I wouldn't recommend it either.' She could practically hear Ruby wincing. 'He could only handle a trick like that because he was a big guy with a Semblance that could block out pain and a lot of willpower.'
'I've seen and heard of similar techniques that have devastating effects on both the wielder's enemies and the wielder themselves,' Archer affirmed in a much more serious tone. 'Willpower or not, something like that long-term would've surely left lasting damage on the man, but some people will resort to any tactics to win. The type of opponent is absolutely not to be underestimated.'
Rin rolled her eyes but decided against arguing. She'd read of a fair number of magecraft that worked similarly to what these two described. Truth be told, if it hadn't been for the Grail War, she would've gladly taken the time to learn more about Dust. Speaking of which… 'With everything you've told us about Dust, especially the "Nature's Wrath" part, I can't help but imagine it as a crystallized version of Thaumaturgy.'
'You wouldn't be the first to think that, but I've seen realmagic. Fought those who used it, too. It's kinda similar to Dust, but I don't think they're the same thing. At least, not back on my world…' A bit of an edge slipped into Lancer X's "voice," especially when she mentioned fighting. Interesting…
Rin couldn't say for sure if Archer, too, had noticed it. 'Well, as Clarke said, "any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." And vice versa.' She then sensed a sort of… shift from him before his next question, just as she stepped onto the grass. 'Where are we now?'
"This is Shinto's park," Rin explained out loud even as she continued to walk. She didn't bother to hide her answers; no one was there to hear them. "The last stop left to cover on our little tour. What do you think?"
An uneasiness rippled from Lancer X, Rin getting the impression that she was looking around. 'It's… okay, as far as parks go, but I don't see anybody else around. It's been a sunny day and not too cold. They can't all be at work or in school anymore. But it feels…'
Rin nodded at her assessment. The sun was beginning to set, and normally at least a few people ought to be walking around. But not here. "To tell you the truth, Lancer X, this place has a rather heavy past. About ten years ago, this place was reported to be completely aflame. They rebuilt the town afterwards for the most part, but this spot was left alone for some reason. All they did was set up a park over the old burned ruins."
'Well, good luck getting people back here with just that,' the Servant of the Spear's normal cheerfulness was subdued. She even sounded wary. 'Back home, there were monsters called "Grimm" who were drawn to negative emotions. Fear, anger, hatred, pain, that kind of stuff… I've seen a bunch of towns and villages wrecked from Grimm attacks. And they all gave off a vibe a lot like this place. It must've been horrible…'
"I imagine it was." Rin filed away this information about "Grimm" for later. Maybe she could learn more about Remnant after the War… "You've both probably figured it out, but this was the place for the final battle of the prior Holy Grail War. It all ended here, and no one's dared approach it since the Fuyuki Fire."
'You know, you talk about this fire like you didn't actually see it happen,' Lancer X noted.
Rin nodded. "I was only seven years old at the time, and I had been sent away with," she pondered mentioning Mother and Sakura before settling for, "my family. For safety. So, all I know is what I heard about it afterwards, like how hundreds of people were killed in the Fire and many more injured."
'That explains why Lancer X and I have been feeling such negativity,' Archer concluded neutrally.
She ambled about. "So all Servants can sense that sort of thing?"
He hummed a yes. 'Some of us are better… attuned to it, but as non-corporeal beings, we Servants in general can pick up on these feelings left behind in the ether.'
'And in a place like this, where so many people died and even more people suffered,' his partner added sadly, 'all that pain's gonna leave an impression. You can't just cover it up with a little green, you have to put in real work to wash it away.'
'In this case, erasing it could be impossible,' Archer countered in a neutral tone. 'This place has become special in its own way. It may even qualify as a Reality Marble.'
'Huh?'/"Huh?"
The Servant of the Bow sensed he was being stared at despite being in spirit form. 'Something wrong?'
Rin glanced towards where Lancer X ought to be standing, but she seemed to get the message of letting the Master take over. "Not really. I'm just a little surprised." She began walking out of the park, her tour mostly over. "I wouldn't have expected an Archer to know anything about Reality Marbles, but you..."
'Why is that so surprising?' Part of Rin wished she could see their faces, but it was up to the Servants if they wanted to manifest.
With Lancer X, by contrast, she had a good idea of her mood just by her tone. 'Well, I don't really know what a Reality Marble is. I mean, I recognize the term thanks to this Grail index thing we Servants all get, but all it tells me is that it "materializes and projects one's inner world onto reality," or something.'
"That's pretty much the basic theory, and a little more than what I expected you to know," Rin admitted, her attention drawn to her reflection in a nearby puddle. She knelt down beside it, studying the image while she explained. "For magi, a Reality Marble is among the highest and most forbidden forms of magecraft. It's practically the ne plus ultra of all Thaumaturgy."
'…The what now?'
Rin's sigh was perfectly mirrored by the puddle, save for a ripple or two. "The pinnacle, the highest point."
'You could've just said that from the start,' Ruby grumbled at her Master. This felt pretty familiar to the Hunttress.
"Dolt…"
'Smarty-pants.'
An exasperated Archer stepped in (figuratively) before an argument could break out. 'In Lancer X's case, it's fair that she doesn't fully understand the workings of this world's magecraft. But don't forget, Rin, we Heroic Spirits are well-versed in both martial and mystical arts. If you want to believe knowing how to use a bow is all I can do as an Archer, or that a Lancer like Ruby is only good for wielding a spear-'
'Which is so not true, by the way!'
'…Then that's on you. But don't let your guard down around enemy Servants, especially X ones who might wield powers beyond our comprehension.'
Rin frowned at his words. She only tolerated being lectured so much, and she didn't appreciate anyone talking down to her. "Okay, I get the point. Sorry I made assumptions about you two without thinking, I'll make sure to be more careful."
But Archer wasn't done. 'On that note, you might be a savant magus, but that habit of looking down on others is a flaw you've picked up because of it. You really need to work on that before growing up.'
"Work on it?!" Rin stood up infuriated from a mere familiar's patronizing. "Who do you think you are, saying such rude things to me without a care in the world?!"
'Wow,' Lancer X's giggle rippled through the air, 'she really does have a lot in common with Weiss. Guess I'm not gonna miss her so much after all.'
'And I haven't even called her a rowdy tomboy yet.' Oh, that bastard was so obviously smirking right now…
And she was probably one step away from rolling all over the ground. 'Lemme guess, you're gonna save that for a special occasion?'
'You know it, partner.'
"As soon as you two materialize again, I'M GONNA-" Rin's promise of vengeance was cut off by twin bolts of pain through her hands, sharp enough that she couldn't help but cry out.
"Rin?" She nearly fell to her knees, and Ruby appeared by her side in a flash of red particles, worry all over her face as she supported her. "What's going on?"
The Master powered through the pain with a sharp intake of oxygen. "Go back into spirit form, Lancer X. My Command Seals reacted to something just now, and I've got a hunch we're being watched." They both eyed their surroundings even while the red-hooded Heroic Spirit faded away again. "…I can't see anything. What about you?"
'I'm not seeing or picking anything up,' Lancer X reported, though she, too, was on guard.
The same with Archer. 'Neither am I, but this could be a problem. We might've walked into a trap without realizing it, and now that they've seen one of us completely…'
"Even so," Rin scanned the area again and rallied herself with new confidence, "this may save us the trouble of hunting down one of our enemies."
Outside a café right next to the main airport, lit up by Dubai's morning sun, Maiya set down her tea to frown at her table's other occupant. "You said you could help."
"I said I'd do my best," her seating companion sighed, visibly no happier than she was. He shook his head, long dark hair waving about, then withdrew a flask from his coat pocket to add a splash of Irish whiskey to his coffee. "Look, there's a lot of excitement going on behind the scenes at Clock Tower. Ever since the last Grail War, quite a few big names have been interested in," he pursed his lips, "assisting with this one to make sure we don't have another series of catastrophes to cover up in the aftermath. And they're keen on finding out more behind the circumstances of certain… participants."
"With respect, I couldn't care less about the politics of sociopathic magi." The woman cut through his explanation. "I've dealt with plenty of them in my time. The most important thing to me is keeping the people I care for safe, and if that means I have to dig up the Greater Grail myself and toss it to your colleagues, then I may as well buy a shovel while I'm here." She rubbed her eyes; flying economy for nine hours straight took a toll on anyone, and maybe she was a little out of practice. Rather than dwell on that thought, she noted, "I take it you're still on thin ice if you aren't personally involving yourself with this War, Lord El-Melloi?"
"The Second," Waver Velvet corrected reflexively. He had slung his striking red longcoat over his chair's backrest, revealing a vest, red tie and dress pants with well-worn but still presentable shoes. He was tall even while seated with one leg over the other and his build was lean and a little thin, but the lines of his face and his eyes, a shade lighter than Maiya's, gave off the impression of a man educated both in academics and finishing the odd bar brawl. "And as a matter of fact, I am on razor-thin ice, Miss Hisau. Officially, they're concerned I might be too 'tainted' by my participation in the fourth War to think clearly as a Master a second time. Lady Archisorte vouched for me, but Lord Sophia-Ri said no."
A ghost of a smirk flitted across Maiya's face. "I heard a rumor about you having a disagreement with him once years ago. Apparently, you left him a gibbering wreck bleeding all over an expensive carpet."
"I only bent his nose a little…" the Lord of the Department of Modern Magecraft Theory grumbled into his coffee. I bet Reines helped spread that rumor… He sobered. "But as head of the Department of Spiritual Evocation, he has the final word about catalysts and representatives. In the meantime, they're keeping me busy with other work. I'm not even supposed to set a foot in Japan or let anyone see this." He withdrew a folder from his travel bag and passed it over the table. "These are the two agents who've been sent into the fray."
Maiya opened the folder and scanned the contents, her old training surfacing again to note down the details of Atrum Gallista and Bazett Fraga McRemitz and, more importantly, determine how to neutralize them. Fraga… Now there's a name that spells trouble. She peered over the papers. "…And our benefactor?"
Waver shuffled slightly in his seat. "If they're uncomfortable about letting me be involved with the Grail War, they don't want him anywhere near it. He's too unpredictable in their eyes, too clever. Besides, he literally can't take one step into Fuyuki City, remember?"
"Like that could stop him if he really wanted to intervene." Maiya closed the folder. "You know him better than I do, and I can tell he's the type of man to never have merely oneplan prepared. He's probably already taken precautions for the worst possible turnout of all this…" Her eyes drifted to the floor. "And I'm not sure I want to imagine what that might even look like."
"The turnout, or his precautions?" Waver wasn't expecting an answer from her. As Maiya had said, he'd spent plenty of time under that man's tutelage, and while the results had certainly paid off, there had been moments he'd actually looked back on the Fourth Grail War, hell, back on his studying under Lord El-Melloi I wistfully. Still, the stakes were far too high for either of the two in the café to refuse help, wherever it came from.
He therefore carefully retrieved a small black case from his bag while glancing about. Gray was bound to turn up any second now, and though he wasn't sure she'd blab to the others, better wrap this up quick. The woman before him was looking antsy. And in his experience, when someone like her was showing tension… "Our ally's methods aside, he told me to give you these, too. He said they might provide you with an edge."
Maiya accepted the case and warily opened the lid at a snail's pace, the memory of a certain "bloody" message springing to mind. The contents didn't suddenly jump out at her, but they were no less stunning: inlaid in velvet lining, a glass box containing some shimmering powder, and a wooden sheet with odd circular markings on top. Her eyes were drawn to the latter. "…Are these what I think they are?"
"Something he 'held onto for a rainy day,' he said." Finished with his coffee, Waver pulled out a cigar and tapped it unlit against his forearm. "Two of them, currently unbound but will connect to whatever you summon. The box is filled with a special compound containing spiritual residue that was collected from the Fourth Grail War. Any Servant summoned via this as a catalyst won't be directly bound to the Holy Grail, and their loyalty and mana source will exclusively be to the one they made a contract with. That's the gist of what he told me, and he conducted a 'beta test,' so to speak, with the compound about six months ago. The test was a success despite using only one and the summoner having no Magic Circuits herself."
"The Association wasn't aware of this test, let alone approved of it, so you can't reveal her name, right?" Maiya's deduction was rewarded with a nod. Hope began to bloom inside her as a particular idea crossed her mind, but she kept her cool. "What's the catch?" Lord El-Melloi (II) had only spoken of the positives about this method, but that didn't mean there weren't a few negatives involved, too.
He finally lit his cigar and took a drag from it, running mentally through the possible answers. Smoke wafted from his mouth as he decided on directness. "It's basically a crapshoot. The Servant summoned in the first test had no connection whatsoever to Servants of the Fourth Grail War, not to those of this world's history or to ones of alternate worlds'. There's no way to gauge what class or level of power, either. The closest thing you could determine is how they might mirror the summoner's being, and that…"
"…Can mean anything," Maiya finished pensively. Once again, she glared at her hands, bare as ever, even though she'd spent over nine years training and preparing once she'd learned of the Fifth Grail War's premature schedule. It had hurt to keep this from Kiritsugu, so sure as he'd been of his countermeasures to prevent the War from happening. She'd promised him on his grave that she'd protect Shirou, and yet no sign of any Command Seals, not a dot on her hands. Now here was a second chance… A chance to be able to fight… A chance to keep what family she'd found in this last decade safe…
A chance to see him again…
She took a deep breath and shut the case before stowing it along with the files in her own bag. "I take it you recommend I still do the ritual in Japan, right?"
"For one, the closer you are to Fuyuki's leylines, the higher the probability of summoning a Servant you're halfway familiar with… we think," Waver added quickly. "Besides, why add to your complications by smuggling a Heroic Spirit onto a public plane?" He gestured towards her bag with his cigar. "The case carries a perception filter charm that will shield its contents from X-rays or other customs inspections. To anyone who doesn't already know what's inside, it will appear of no interest and quickly be forgotten."
Maiya nodded pleased. It wasn't just American airlines who'd grown more paranoid since the World Trade Center's destruction three years ago. She'd barely managed to smuggle her Fangs past security on the way here. She stood up and made to walk off into the busy streets but not before pausing. "…Thank you."
She hadn't turned around, and Waver Velvet nodded back without a word, but that was enough. Soon, Hisau was gone, and the professor wouldn't be staying much longer himself, his attendance expected at the Grand Roll. Still, his thoughts drifted to Servants and alternate universes… and a certain alien tyrant who still haunted his nightmares to this day.
Shirou didn't have any particular projects after school today, but his next shift at Copenhagen wasn't for a little while, so he couldn't help but linger around the archery club. Sessions were already ongoing, leaving him with little option but to peer through the window. "Shinji tends to go overboard when he's riled up enough…" He muttered. It wouldn't have been the first time he'd needed to pull his friend off someone.
"Hey, you!"
Shirou blinked and turned around just in time to see a pole swinging in from below. "Whoa!" He hopped out of range to find a certain dark-haired girl with tan skin glaring at him, track pole in hand and two other girls standing behind her. Oh boy, Shirou sighed to himself. He'd never met this girl before, but he had a hunch who she might be.
"Sorry to burst your bubble, Shinji Matou," Kaede Makidera sneered unapologetically at the boy she'd cornered, "but you could wait all night, and Rin Tohsaka still wouldn't show up!" She brandished her weapon in a series of advanced Sojutsu maneuvers with a vicious smirk.
Shirou Emiya just raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Huh…?"
"Maki," Kane Himuro watched the whole situation deadpan from behind her glasses, "this guy doesn't look anything like what Mitsuzuri described. His hair's not wavy like seaweed, either."
The boy winced to himself; Shinji hated it when somebody compared his hair to seaweed. "Oh, please," Makidera scoffed, "he probably just smoothed down his curls today." She stabbed her pole in the dirt and pointed at his face. "Who else would look that stupid besides Shinji Matou?!"
"Uh, I'm really not Shinji-"
"Any bad guy would say that-"
"Makidera-senpai?" Her retort was cut off as all three girls and one boy turned to see Sakura walking over, still in her Sojutsu gear. "Saegusa-senpai? Madame? Is this some club meeting?" She then saw the boy. "Oh, you're back at the archery club, Emiya-senpai?"
"Emiya… senpai…?" Makidera's confidence was beginning to waver.
Yukika Saegusa, on the other hand, greeted her kohai with a smile. "Hello, Sakura, sorry to bother you. And no, this has nothing to do with the clubs. We just saw this boy walking around the archery club…"
"And Makidera assumed he was Shinji Matou," Himuro added drily. "I hope you don't mind, but could you clarify who he really is?"
Sakura ambled to between the trio and her friend with a light laugh. "Oh no, this here is Shirou Emiya of Class 2-C, and I can assure you, he and Matou-senpai aren't much alike in personality." She turned to him while Makidera dropped her staff in a mild panic attack. "But yesterday, Mitsuzuri-senpai mentioned you'd quit archery."
"I have, but I heard Shinji's been a little bent out of shape since yesterday, so I felt like taking a quick look and making sure he hadn't burned the dojo down or something," Shirou explained. He didn't really think his old friend would go that far, but for some reason, things just seemed a bit tense in Fuyuki right now. "What about you, Sakura? Aren't the sessions almost over?"
"I volunteered to clean up afterwards," Sakura shrugged before sticking out a hand to forestall his next words. "And I'm nearly done, so you don't need to drop everything and help. I just came out here because I heard the commotion."
"…Am I that predictable?" Shirou grumbled, earning a giggle from the dark-haired girl.
Meanwhile, a certain "Black Panther" was hiding like a spooked kitten behind Saegusa. "I almost clobbered the guy who's always patching up our gear in his spare time?" She mumbled almost catatonically. "The guy known as the 'Homurahara Brownie'?!"
She flinched as Emiya shot her a perplexed look. "Never heard of that nickname before, but I see the president of the track club and vice of the Sojutsu club is exactly as everyone describes her." That promptly made the tan girl prostrate herself before him in an effort to mitigate the damage.
Saegusa settled for bowing her head. "Sorry about the misunderstanding." Himuro inclined hers silently, too.
"It's fine," Shirou assured them. To be fair, seeing a boy student trying to peek through the club's windows could be easily misinterpreted. Hindsight's always twenty-twenty, as they say. "But what did you mean about Tohsaka? Did something happen to her?"
Sakura paused while patting Makidera's head in consolation (which earned her a slight purr from her senior) at his words. "Big Sister wasn't feeling well, so she excused herself from school today." The older girls confirmed her report, though what none of them knew was that Sakura herself had only learned of this upon arriving at school and the teachers had questioned her. No one knew that the sisters were currently living separately, so Sakura had to improvise an excuse on the spot. All because Big Sister didn't let me or anyone else know beforehand.
"…Pretty hard to believe a model student like her catching a cold." Makidera-senpai was bragging beside her, forcing the younger girl to keep her expression a little more neutral. Sure, a model student who can't be bothered to figure out her bloody flip phone and leaves her younger sister to come up with an excuse for her absence…
Thank goodness for the Madame of Homurahara turning Makidera-senpai into her personal chair and making her keep quiet. "Once again, we apologize for letting our rambunctious beast bother you, Emiya," Himuro-senpaireiterated over her friend's grunts. "Even so, you shouldn't be here at this hour. Did no one inform you that any student not involved with a club should head home immediately after school?"
Shirou shook his head; this was news to him. Then again, he hadn't spoken with Issei since their chat before lunch. "What's going on?"
"You really haven't heard…?" The pale-haired girl seemed shocked for a moment. She glanced over to Saegusa and Sakura before explaining. "A family of four was attacked near an intersection close to the school. Only one child survived. Apparently, the parents and older sister died from stabbing wounds. The murderer's still on the loose, and everyone's worried about what appears to be a random homicide." Her cool tone belied her own horror at these events.
Shirou was listening carefully while Saegusa fidgeted slightly at her spot and even Makidera had become a little subdued. As for Sakura, she rose and flashed them a concerned look. "The student council sent out an official bulletin for all non-club affiliated students to head home as quickly as possible, and we were debating whether or not to talk about this, senpai."
"I don't want to stir up trouble, either, Sakura," Himuro told her apologetically, "but these things tend to become common knowledge quickly. Shinto has gas leaks, but we in Miyama have to deal with a horrific murder. No surprise students are sent home as quickly as possible."
The five students all exchanged goodbyes and went their separate ways, but for Shirou and Sakura, concern would continue to persist.
Day gave way to night, and Homurahara's "model student" had snuck her team up one of the tallest skyscrapers in Shinto. "Well?" Rin asked behind her while still facing the streets below. "Pretty good as a vantage point, wouldn't you agree?"
"It's great!" Lancer X skipped out of spirit form next to her to beam at the city. She had that "Scroll" contraption of hers in hand and seemed to be taking pictures. "You can see just about the whole district from up here." She turned a little to the right and squinted. "Even a little of the town."
Her partner materialized sitting on top of a vent pipe. "You know we could've just come up here and saved time instead of walking all over the city."
"Any excuse to complain with you, eh?" Rin teased him while eyeing from the side. "All you'd get up here is a bird's eye view, but if you want to know every detail of a city, you have to visit every spot in person."
Lancer X nodded happily at that, but Archer was unconvinced. "That doesn't apply so much for me. I'm of the Archer class, it's natural for a bowman to have top-notch eyesight." He turned to the city. "For example, I could tell you two precisely how many tiles that bridge has."
"Wow," Rin leaned out towards the bridge, "so there really are archers in the Archer class."
"Rin," he grunted, "you're making fun of me, aren't you?"
She smirked. "I would never."
"Lemme see," both turned to find Lancer X staring at the bridge herself, Scroll in her pocket, "it's about four kilometers long, and each tile's 12x12, so…" she tapped her fingers together before declaring a number that made them blink at her because, as Archer did the math himself, it was correct. Ruby simply strutted over to him and flashed a cheeky V-sign that made her even more kawaii in Rin's eyes. "I'm a sharpshooter, too."
"Careful, Archer," Rin teased while turning back to her view, "you're getting upstaged." She barely registered his grumbling, however, on account of noticing one particular passer-by.