Ten Years

[Hymn of Ragnarok]

No, he's confident he has about another 60 years to see Sakura's descendants do his task, so I think he is good for whatever. Plus, Nasu has teased about the Association doing their own thing ten years later if no one touches the Greater Grail, so it's not *just* Zouken.

Well, whether he's confident he'll survive and whether he'll actually survive are two different things. I don't recall off the top of my head how often Zouken needs to get a new body, but the time spent in each one is getting shorter and shorter. Although you do have a much better recall for these factoids than I do, so maybe you're taking that into account already.

Plus, if he has to make an entire new Greater Grail, I think it's going to take him more than sixty years to build and fill it. Maybe he could salvage the Greater Grail and redesign it for a new leyline. It's questionable though. The Matous were brought in for the Command Seals and binding, not gathering the energy. Zouken probably doesn't have the know-how to fix it properly.

You do have a point about the Association though.

[Arch-Magos Winter]

Rin couldn’t believe this was happening. Saber had said she’d been summoned before in this era, but by HIM? That pervert in the park? She couldn’t sense any sort of energy about him, any sort of magical ability. Of course, she could say the same about Shirou, but that was different. He was different. And apparently, so was his… father? The pervert looked nothing like Shirou. Sounded nothing like Shirou. Was Shirou an adopted magus, like… No. She couldn’t think about her. She wasn’t her sister anymore.

But, Shirou’s case was possibly similar, wasn’t it? Adopted by a magus – a powerful one if he’d survived the war that killed her father, and summoned a hero like Saber – and raised by his adoptive family to perform magic. Wait… had the pervert even taught Shirou anything? He didn’t even know how to fix a window with magic!

She had half a mind to slap Kiritsugu upside the head several times, not only because he’d taught Shirou nothing, but also because he’d insisted on going along with her to pick out clothes for Saber. And because who in their right mind insisted on unpacking a duffle bag alone? Or storing a backpack in a shed? And-
she noticed that he had stopped in front of her house.

“Do you have any bounded fields up to prevent intrusion?” the magus asked, the empty duffle bag slung over his shoulder lazily. Why the hell would he ask that? He should be able to sense them, unless…

He’s testing me. He wants to know if I’m prepared for the war, and if I know my own defenses.

“Of course,” Rin snapped back, “And I can assure you that no man got past them in the last war as well.”

The middle aged man chuckled.

“I would have found a way through. Probably without even using magic. Someone beat me to it though.”

Rin huffed. Kiritsugu was obviously lying. Her father had been killed outside his wards, ambushed as he tried to visit the supervisor. That much the fake priest had told her. The bounded fields should stop anything short of a cruise missile from hitting the house.

She dispelled the barriers to the doorway, unlocked it, and stepped inside, the older magus following behind her.

“So. Where’s your room?”

Rin shot Kiritsugu an icy glare.

“Nowhere you’re going. Check the basement, there may be some old clothes downstairs that fit Saber. I guess I’ll grab the more feminine articles of clothing while I’m checking my room,” she said, yanking the duffle bag from Kiritsugu’s grasp, “So I’m taking this.”

“Saber would be fine with just a suit you know,” Kiritsugu said, as Rin climbed the stairway. “No need to dress her up.”

And a suit isn’t dressed up?

She would never understand this man in a million years. How had Saber gotten along with him? He seemed abrasive and cold, though that could be excused if it let up, she supposed. She’d be angry too if someone had barged into her home unannounced, and someone she cared about nearly cut in half.

Rin spent several minutes looking through her clothing before settling on an outfit she’d never worn, a gift from that fake priest. It would have looked good on nearly anyone- anyone but her. That was probably the reason Kotomine had given her the outfit. She stuffed the outfit into the duffle bag along with some… feminine articles articles of clothing before slinging it over her shoulder and heading downstairs, where the older magus was waiting. Rin rushed down the stairway as fast as she could.

----------------------------------

A true magus would have left Shirou to die at the hands of his daughter, but Rin hadn’t run. Instead, she’d carried him back to the Emiya household, bandaged him up, and was acting to help him. Kiritsugu may have discovered an ally in Rin Tohsaka, even if she didn’t realize it yet. A plan was forming in his mind. Allying Shirou with Rin would make perfect sense. If the two could survive to the end, perhaps he could convince them to destroy the Grail. But in the end… this wasn’t his war. He’d participate, but it wasn’t his. In the end, it would come down to Saber and Shirou.

And there was also the matter of Ilya.

Kiritsugu contemplated all manner of things as he explored the lower floor of the Tohsaka manor. He’d only had time to look around the upstairs the last time he was here ten years ago, and it was interesting to see that nothing had really changed about the house from his time. Sure, some things were different, little things, like a different table cloth, or newer curtains. But the atmosphere remained the same. It was obviously the house of a magus.

Ironic, really, that he’d seen the inside of so few in his life. Considering his former employment, one would expect him to have seen inside many.

He heard the footsteps of the girl before she came into view.

“Got the clothes?”

“Of course.”
Kiritsugu nodded, as he opened the door outside.

“Back to my place, and fast. You take point.”

Rin rolled her eyes, stepping out as elegantly and slowly as possible.

She has spunk, I’ll give her that. Hopefully, that will be enough to keep her alive.

-----------------------------------

Rin had sent Kiritsugu packing outside the house as soon as the pair returned back to the Emiya manor, muttering something about not letting a pervert near any women in a state of undress. He’d relented in the end and settled on heading into the shed, and assembling the M16A3 back into readiness. A couple of pins, sliding the piston into place, adjusting the sights back into position, and the job was done. He took a look at a timer he’d set next to himself. Five minutes.

Sloppy sloppy sloppy.

Age and the curse were catching up with him. Kiritsugu began to put the rifle in the hiding place he’d decided for it, when the door to the shed opened.

“Shirou?”

“It is time to have a talk Kiritsugu,” a chilly voice replied, and Kiritsugu looked again upon his former Servant. She looked… well, like a little girl. Long blue skirt, ribbon around her collar, white shirt.

“I prefer the suit on you.”
Kiritsugu couldn’t prevent himself from saying that. She seemed much more threatening in a well fitted suit than in… that.

Saber twitched slightly.

“You know what I mean.”

Ah yes, that.

Kiritsugu had been hoping beyond reason that that wouldn’t come up.

“It had to be done.”

Saber clenched her fists at those words. “That’s a lie and you know it. Why did you deny me it? After all I had suffered, after all Berserker suffered, and I had the grail within my reach, WHY DID YOU STOP ME!” , the former King of the Britons shouted, unrestrained hate in her posture and words. She seemed seconds away from snapping and cleaving Kiritsugu’s head off, but something was preventing her from doing so.

“It needed to be done. Are you really so selfish not to see that Saber? If it didn’t need to be done, why would I deny my own wish along with yours?”

Kiritsugu stood up, looking down on the girl before him.

“It wouldn’t grant my wish. It simply wanted to see me suffer. And it would have done the same to you.”

“HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT! HOW KIRITSUGU? MAYBE IT WOULDN’T HAVE GRANTED A WISH TO YOUR BLACK HEART, BUT WHAT ABOUT ME? I COULD HAVE FIXED EVERYTHING! EVERYTHING I DID WRONG. And then, and then…”
Her voice trailed off.

“And then what? What really would you have fixed Saber? Your kingdom was doomed. It would have fallen apart in time. Accept it and move on.”

“No. I can’t accept it. Someone else would have made it last. Made it strong. If I wasn’t king, if someone else had pulled out the sword…” There was a hint of despair and longing in the angry tones.

“What would have changed?” Kiritsugu laughed.

“Everything! That sword made a mistake, I-”

“Nothing Saber. Nothing would have changed.”

Saber started to open her mouth to reply, but Kiritsugu continued.

“If anything, you would have made it worse. The Grail wanted to twist my wish into something I never wished for. It would have done the same to yours.”

Black obsidian met cold emerald.

“So move on. Give it up Saber. To make all your sins absolved, to change everything for the better by denying all you did, that is a wish that cup won’t grant.”

“I don’t believe you,” came from between clenched teeth and with shaking hands.

“Believe whatever you want. I’m in no position to criticize you about your ideals, not after I abandoned mine and my dream.”

Saber’s eyes stayed on Kiritsugu as the man looked into his jacket pocket.

“Still there. Huh. Wonder if they’re still good.”

He pulled out a cigarette, and light it with a flick of a small lighter.

“I stopped doing this you know. For Shirou. He couldn’t stand the smell of the smoke, it gave him nightmares.”

The smoke filled the shed with the distinct scent of tobacco.

“It wasn’t just that. The smell reminded me too much of all the bodies. So I quit. Again.”

Kiritsugu dropped the cigarette and ground it out on the concrete floor of the shed.

“Call me a hypocrite all you want Saber. It won’t change what’s happened.”

He pushed his way past her in the door way.

“You think I don’t regret what I did each day Saber? How much I wish that the Grail would have given me my dream with no strings attached?”

Saber couldn’t say anything, except look again with pity at the broken man who had been her Master.

“Well, I fucking do. Think on it.”

----------------------------------------

Shirou stumbled into the living room just as Kiritsugu finished making the blackest coffee he’d ever made, a mug for both him and Rin. It had been a long night.

“Oh, hey Rin.” Shirou groggily said. “And… Dad?”

“Good morning Shirou. We have a lot to talk about.”

Shirou’s eyes darted back and forth from his adoptive father to Rin.

“About what?”

“The war, obviously.” Rin replied, drinking out of the mug Kiritsugu had set in front of her cautiously, as if she suspected that the older magus would poison her cup. “Kiritsugu has some experience with this sort of thing apparently. He was Saber’s Master in the last war.”

Oh you clever girl…

Shirou looked at his father, questions forming on his lips faster than he could even speak.

“How? What? Why? Huh?”

“One question at a time.” Kiritsugu said, taking a drink of the extremely bitter coffee.

“Where’s Saber? Is she alright?”

“Saber is fine. She’s in the dojo, I think. And in any case, who we should all be concerned about right now is you, Shirou. How are you? Everything where it should be?”

The young man touched his stomach, apparently feeling the bandages underneath his shirt. “I think. It doesn’t hurt at all. I just kinda feel a little nauseous though.”

“I think the bandages can come off then.” Kiritsugu said, nodding.

“Alright.”

Shirou stripped off his shirt, and began undoing the bandaging. Rin gasped at the sight.

There was nothing left but an already fading scar. No evidence that Shirou’s abdomen had been split open like a hog prepared for butchering remained outside of that thin, fading mark.

It was like his body had reversed the damage all on its own.

Avalon.

“Shirou, I’d put that shirt back on. Rin looks like she’s about to start drooling.” Kiritsugu said, draining his mug.

Both of the teenagers blushed, and Rin began stammering out denials as Shirou hastily pulled the shirt back over his head.

“Anyway, I need to get something done. Try not to get killed again while I’m out Shirou.”

Kiritsugu left the two Masters to their own devices, and headed out to the shed, intent on making sure that his weapons were hidden well enough that Shirou would not notice them.

-----------------------------

Shirou and Rin had not made an alliance… formally anyway. Kiritsugu viewed it as only a matter of time before the two teamed up though. He hadn’t figured out the reason why Shirou refused, but whatever it was, it likely wouldn’t prevent a future alliance. As such, Kiritsugu had settled with giving Shirou the best advice he could for the time being: If you see Berserker, RUN. He’d also learned just how high the odds were stacked against his son. Saber was much, much weaker than she should be, running at just 1000 units of prana. To make things worse, she was still recovering from a wound to the chest as well as her side. She could fight – and likely win – against any Servant in terms of pure swordsmanship, but it never really came down to that, despite how much Saber seemed to have wished it would in the last war.

Taiga and Sakura came for dinner, and Shirou and Kiritsugu introduced Saber as a distant relative of Kiritsugu visiting for a while. The meal went fine, though Sakura seemed ill at ease, everyone went home, and the time came for something Kiritsugu dreaded deeply: Shirou going out seeking other Masters. He’d tried to convince his son that this was the worst possible move this early on, especially with Saber in a weakened state, but both Shirou and his Servant had ignored him. So again, Kiritsugu was left in an empty house, with nothing to do but wait and hope.

About five hours passed before the pair returned. Shirou came in first, walked straight up to Kiritsugu, sat down, and said simply: “We need to talk.”

Kiritsugu sighed and turned a glance to Saber. No friendly face was found. “I suspected as much. What happened?”

“Rider is dead. And apparently the Matou’s are a family of Magi.” Shirou’s golden brown eyes trained a piercing gaze on Kiritsugu. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“There was no need for you to know.”

“Just like there was no need for me to know that you had fought in the Fourth War? Just like there was no need for me to know that the Einzberns possibly hold a grudge against you?” Shirou’s voice would have been, to anyone who didn’t know him, level. But Kiritsugu could feel the distrust beneath the surface, the anger, and above all, the hurt.

“Shirou, I never believed that any of that would have any impact on your life, in any meaningful way, ever. I will admit I have sheltered you in regards to the magical world, but I do not and never will believe that that was the wrong decision. And who did you learn that the Matou’s were a family of magi from?”

“Zouken. Shinji was the Master of Rider, he was controlling her through some sort of book. Zouken told him that he was a disgrace after Saber defeated Rider, and sent him back home.”

Kiritsugu shuddered a little. If Zouken was getting involved…

“Shirou, never, under any circumstances, be alone with Zouken Matou. That old man is possibly the most powerful magus in Fuyuki right now. Summon Saber with a command spell, run away, do anything but stay alone with him. I doubt he’s given up the Holy Grail that easily.”

“He seems to have,” Shirou said, adjusting his body slightly.

“And I’m not buying it. It’s smart to be on your guard around other magi in any case. Just… just don’t do anything incredibly stupid Shirou. I don’t want to lose you.”

[YeOfLittleFaith]

Wheeeeee! Update! :3

Shame they aren't allying right away so we could have paranoid Kerry interacting with EMIYA and telling him to stand watch. Or more frequent of Rin and Kiritsugu's hilarious attempts to one-up each other.
I suppose we'll get there in time.

And hoho, Kerry's advice here might prove to be quite interesting.

[omegasonic1005]

Yes. This fanfic is a alternative Heaven's Feel route with Kiritsugu still alive...

[ltfrankie]

I doubt the fanfic will follow any routes, but Rider didn't die this early on, right?

I wonder if the Einzberns know he's alive?

I vaguely remember Shirou talking to Ilya about their dad, but I'm not sure if Ilya assumed if he was still alive in that route or not.

I'm looking forward to Archer-Kiritsugu dialogue, and Kiri eventually finding out he's EMIYA.

[Mike1984]

I doubt the fanfic will follow any routes, but Rider didn't die this early on, right?

No, but Shirou thought she had in the equivalent scene in HF.

[Raven2785]

Please Magos, please tell me that either Shirou or Ilya will die in front of Kerry's eyes at some point, just the pain, the suffering, and the ensuing whirlwind of blood and death will be worth it.

[Santo]

Loved the update, though there was one mistake.

Kiritsugu did in fact get through the Tohsaka bounded fields in I think three hours.

The anime retconned it because of time constrains or to better tell the narrative. But in the LN at least Kiritsugu beat the Tohsaka bounded fields.

Unless that's what you meant and Kiritsugu was simply keeping that to himself.

Still, awesome update, but I think Saber took his "It is fact and I'm not actually explaining why it is so." a little too easily =/

A mention of what exactly his wish would have done would have been nice. But it still remains within suspension of disbelief.

[Arch-Magos Winter]

Please Magos, please tell me that either Shirou or Ilya will die in front of Kerry's eyes at some point, just the pain, the suffering, and the ensuing whirlwind of blood and death will be worth it.

Read and find out.

Also, views have gone over 9000. In less than a month.

I personally want to thank everyone that reads this for putting up with my substandard writing.

[RadiantBeam]

I personally want to thank everyone that reads this for putting up with my substandard writing.

Your writing is easily above substandard. Practice makes perfect, and you're off to a great start with it.

[kuniKaiRoe]

Move along. Nothing to see here.
Nothing at all. I swear.
No invisible text saying anything.
Summary: in which Kiritsugu approves of Rin, argues with Saber about wishes (and skips outright talking about the grail's corruption), and warns Shirou of Zouken.
Also, Heavens Feel route, in case it wasn't obvious.

[mAc Chaos]

Please Magos, please tell me that either Shirou or Ilya will die in front of Kerry's eyes at some point, just the pain, the suffering, and the ensuing whirlwind of blood and death will be worth it.

Since it's Kiritsugu it would only have to be by his own hand. TRADITION

I liked how Kiritsugu handled his convo with Saber, but I also wondered why he didn't just straight out say the Grail was evil.

[Arch-Magos Winter]

>Implying Saber would ever believe that

Really, shes obsessed with the grail. And she'd think that Kiritsugu was lying as an excuse for destroying her precious.

God, was really distracted typing this earlier.

[mAc Chaos]

Well... she believed Kotomine when he said it.

[Hymn of Ragnarok]

Hmm. I think RIn let Kerry into her workshop a bit too easily and readily. I also object to Kiritsugu being....well, an ass with Saber. He's drawing out the conflict with her instead of being straight up. His opening snark when Saber wants to talk is fine, but afterwards he's just being a gaping asshole. He's picking on Saber and her motivations without explaining the practical reasons of why wishing on the Grail won't work.

That's the thing to drive home. It's a much better way to mend bridges, get Saber to agree to destroy the Grail again, et cetera. Kiritsugu might not approve of Saber, but I feel like he's just being a jackass. And a stupid one. He's got plenty of time to explain to Saber why he wish wouldn't work anyway after​ he disabuses her of the belief that the Grail is a viable option.

[Arch-Magos Winter]

Again. Came from Kotomine.
Not the man she utterly hates with a passion who is standing right the fuck in front of her.

Also, link to that scene.

[mAc Chaos]

Again. Came from Kotomine.
Not the man she utterly hates with a passion who is standing right the fuck in front of her.

Also, link to that scene.

Well, I mean, she hated Kotomine too, and knew that even Kiritsugu feared him. You'd think she'd have even less reason to trust him, especially since he could easily be trying to take the Grail for himself.

But you could just say, at this point in the story Saber is still in Fate/Zero obsessed with Grail mode, whereas by that point in FSN Shirou had gotten her to lighten up on getting the Grail anyway.

I'll get the link in a moment. It's the Church basement scene after Shirou gets Gae Bolg'd and Kotomine drops the truth bombs on 'em. Right after he almost had Shirou killed.

[Arch-Magos Winter]

Why do you want this story to go straight into grimderp territory?

It won't. Just trust me, it won't go Grimderp if I can help it.

Well, I mean, she hated Kotomine too, and knew that even Kiritsugu feared him. You'd think she'd have even less reason to trust him, especially since he could easily be trying to take the Grail for himself.

But you could just say, at this point in the story Saber is still in Fate/Zero obsessed with Grail mode, whereas by that point in FSN Shirou had gotten her to lighten up on getting the Grail anyway.

I'll get the link in a moment. It's the Church basement scene after Shirou gets Gae Bolg'd and Kotomine drops the truth bombs on 'em. Right after he almost had Shirou killed.

Ah, thank you.

[mAc Chaos]

http://fsn.seorinwastaken.com/archive/105.html

Here it is. The reason of the scenes at that link are good too.



"Then you caused that fire with the power of the Holy Grail…!?"


"Who knows? I think the Holy Grail would have done the same thing even if I was someone else. It is a thing of that nature. People call it an omnipotent vessel, but only blood, darkness, and curses fill it.


You saw it as well, right? The darkness that spilled out from it when you destroyed the Holy Grail. It only spilled onto Archer. Archer would not have lost his way if you had not destroyed the Holy Grail."

"…Nonsense. The Holy Grail is a magical vessel that grants the wishes of its possessor. That fire must have been your wish…!"


"Only the result. The process was not what I had in mind. I only wished for people to be gone from that place.


In any case, you lack imagination.
Your wishes will be granted? That is fine, but how will your wish be granted? Did you think the world would change the instant you wish?"




"I do not know about the original Holy Grail, but this Holy Grail is merely a vortex of power.
It cannot make precise calculations or correct any inconsistencies. It is only pure power.
It is like a great weapon. If the possessor wishes for great riches, it will kill everything around it to bring happiness to its possessor."


"Do you understand? That magical vessel is a defective item that can only grant the wishes of its possessor through a method called 'destruction'."


"Whathat is not what was promised…!
Is the Holy Grail not something that will grant any wish to its possessor…!?"


"It is. The measures the Holy Grail takes are very reasonable.
Letting one person survive means killing another.
This world is one of equal exchanges. Wishing for some special event means feeding on something to make it possible.
Wishes will not come true if you worry about harmony.
It is merely a fluctuation dependant on the plundering of the weak. It is the most efficient fluctuation."

[mrkingdomheartsboy]

Please Magos, please tell me that either Shirou or Ilya will die in front of Kerry's eyes at some point, just the pain, the suffering, and the ensuing whirlwind of blood and death will be worth it.

I second this.