Have to start on some new projects soon, so I have no idea why I'm writing. Oh well.
Fate/Stay Night - Prismatic Chaos
Once upon a time in Fuyuki, there was areluctantlynewly christened champion ofdeathlove anddestructionjustice, pretty magical girl Kaleido-Ruby!
"Spreading the flames of LOVE to all evildoers! BURN! HAHAHAHAHA! Isn't love so pretty when it burns this hot? Go! Sparkling Prismatic - *Pssshhh* .... Eh? What am I... !?!"
"Time over already? Don't worry master! Magical Ruby-chan will- "DIE DIE DIE YOU STUPID STICK!" - ghwack!?"
... Or at least there was for a short while. *The scenes of wand abuse that follow are unsuitable for the viewing of magical audiences below the age of eighteen.*
"Master, you really shouldn't - *KWANG* - this really - *CRUNCH* - hey! Ruby-chan is a delicate - *SMASH* - ring-a-round the roooosies... *KLANG* - help! Wand abuse!"
"Hah, hah, hah..." Rin Tohsaka, head of the Tohsaka family of magi at the tender age of twelve, breathed heavily as she glared at the offensive item in her hands. "... Shut up and break already you cursed thing!"
In another universe Rin would have retained enough sanity to avoid what came next, but in a multi-verse where almost anything was possible, the tragedy that followed was but one out of an infinite number of outcomes to this fiasco.
"You know master," the disaster in wand form said seriously, making Rin stop for a moment to listen.
Only to completely flip the next moment.
"Black lace panties? At your age? No, no, no! Magical Ruby-chan cannot permit this travesty! Magical girl = striped panties! Kaleido Prism Power Make-... Master? Rin-chan? Ruby-chan wonders why she sees a demonic aura behind you!?"
"... Burn in the deepest pits of hell you PERVERTED PIECE OF JUNK!"
"Magical Ruby-chan! Fly, fly, fly awaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!" the wand shrieked out as Rin threw it towards the horizon at near terminal velocity.
Unfortunately for humanity, Rin was not born on the planet where the shiny green stones come from, and her greatest efforts were only sufficient to propel the cursed item a mere two hundred metres from her location.
Which was still enough to change the course of destiny.
-x-x-x-
Emiya Shirou was a simple lad with just one secret. He was ahalf-bakedmage! Right now he could only use the simple reinforcement and projection that Kiritsugu had taught him, but he was sure that in a few years time he would be a great mage like Kiritsugu had been. Just another step on the road to becoming a champion of justice like he had promised.
"OOOOH! Sympathetic brain waves detected~!"
"Huh?" Shirou looked up in the midst of analysing the latest piece of junk that Fuji-nee had brought in. Who was that? And why was whoever it was coming closer and closer?
Curious, he was about to stand up and look out when the answer came flying through the shed window. Whatever it was, it was hard and had been travelling fast enough that his nose started bleeding after it hit him.
A drop of blood dripped onto the pink and gold thing that had hit him, and Shirou was startled when the stick suddenly stood up by itself and began to shout.
"An innocent young lad just started on the road to becoming a hero! Developing his skills in order to fight for JUSTICE around the world! Ruby-chan is so happy to have found someone like you!"
"Hwah?" Shirou blinked. How did this thing know what his dream was... Wait a minute! How was this thing even talking in the first place?!
"Don't be afraid Emiya-kun! Ruby-chan was created to help girls become what they dream of! You will be a hero(ine) in no time!" The thing that Shirou now recognised as some kind of magical item continued to speak without any regards to the shock that he felt. "Magical Ruby! Kaleido Prism Power Total Make-over! Begin!"
It was then that Shirou's mind finally processed what the stick had said a moment ago.
"Wait! What do you mean you were made to help 'girls' become what they dream of?!" Shirou said in a panic as he tried to throw away the wand which had found itself into his hand somehow. "... Huh? Why can't I let go?!"
"Hu hu hu! Magical Ruby-chan isn't about to let go of another master so easily!" Ruby-chan cackled evilly as a shower of multi-coloured lights began to fall down around Shirou. "Don't worry about it Emiya-kun! If you are going to fight for love and justice it's only natural to be a magical girl!"
"But I'm a booooy!" was Shirou's last protest before the rainbow lights swamped him. Ruby's only response to the plaintive cry was to giggle like a mad clown as she waited for the transformation to begin in earnest.
-x-x-x-
Five days later, Kotomine Kirei cursed the name of the Kishua Zelretch Schweinorg as he worked to modify the last batch of minds that had borne witness to the disaster that his charge had helped set loose upon an unprepared world. The madness that was the Kaleido-stick had caused the destruction of three city blocks and property damage in the high millions before it could be sealed to the cry of 'Ruby-chan will be baaaack~!'. Cleaning up the mess had involved wiping the memories of hundreds of people and the dispatch of two clean-up teams from the Association. There was also the high possibility that the incident would be used as an excuse by many in the Clock Tower to try and confiscate this land from the Tohsakas, something that he couldn't allow yet. Amazingly enough there had been no loss of life, but even so... He was getting a headache just thinking of all the paper-work he was going to have to get through in order to cover this up. On the other hand, at least he didn't need to worry about finding the money for bribes and damages. Gilgamesh's Golden Rule brought in enough cash for the main part, and any extra as was needed could be taken from the Tohsaka estate that he was caretaker of.
Sending yet another mind back to sleep, Kirei turned his thoughts towards the central figure of this disaster. One Emiya Shirou, formerly male, now female and all of twelve years old. An investigation had revealed that he was a very lucky child. A survivor of the blaze that had gutted the city four years ago, an escaper from the fate that Kirei had arranged for his fellow survivors, and adopted by Emiya Kiritsugu of all people. It was also possible to argue that he had come out very well this time as well. A body that had undergone a transformation through the Second True Magic, with twenty seven magic circuits that had operational capacities that dwarfed even those of a once in a generation blessed body like Rin's. If Kirei hadn't noticed the name and taken steps to hide him/her, Emiya Shirou would even now be on a dissection table somewhere as mages took him apart in their search for the Root.
Kirei hoped that the child had inherited his/her adopted parent's abnormal sense of justice. Four years ago his encounter with Emiya Kiritsugu had ended in disappointment, and it would be entertaining to help grow a similar dream in the child and watch as his/her ideals betrayed him/her. Even if it wasn't so, the child was an interesting subject for him. A boy turned girl, but still with the mind of a boy. A perfect subject for mental torture and humiliation. He would have to keep a watch over the child of course. The Association could not find out about him/her, and as a servant of God he couldn't let a poor confused lamb deal with a strange new world by himself/herself now, could he?
An unpleasant grin stretched Kirei's lips as he began to replace memories with nightmares in the last of the last people who needed to be taken care of. A little girl who knew next to nothing about how those of her sex behaved, with no suitable clothes or worldly possessions to speak of. Yes, these next few years were going to be very amusing indeed.
-x-x-x-
Fate/Stay Night - Prismatic Chaos
1 - 1
A lazy afternoon, with a warm sun overhead to counter the chill of the early winter air. At Homurabara High School the students were just beginning to leave the building with the end of classes for the day.
"Kirika-chan, can you take my place in the clean-up roster today?" one girl asked another as everyone hurried to pack their bags in order to leave. "I promised some of my friends that I would meet them after school today and I totally forgot about it."
The girl that had been approached for help smiled apologetically. "Sorry, I would take your place Hongou-san, but Rin has been needling me lately about me always being late..."
"Please Kirika-chan?" Hongou pressed her classmate. "It's a really important meeting for me."
Kirika's smile faltered as Hongou bowed her head. "Uhm..."
Hongou crept a little closer, getting close enough that Kirika whose personal space was a bit wider than other girls began to feel a bit uncomfortable. "Kirika-chan, just this once? I'm sure that Tohsaka-san would understand if you were a little late."
Unable to refuse the determined girl, Kirika sighed and gave in. "Okay Hongou-san. Go ahead. I suppose Rin wouldn't mind me staying back - "What wouldn't I mind Kirika-chan?" - a while. Oh, hey Rin."
Tohsaka Rin, the idol of the school, manager and guardian of one Emiya Kirika. Though her face wore an angelic smile, the object of her attention couldn't help but feel like a frog under the glare of a snake about to strike.
"Good, good afternoon Tohsaka-san," Hongou stuttered. Now that Tohsaka was here she knew that she was going to have to cancel her plans.
"Good afternoon to you Hongou-san," Rin said with the angelic smile still on her face. "Do you mind coming with me for a second? We need to have a little chat."
Kirika winced and looked out the window as Rin half led, half dragged the reluctant girl out of the class. The few students who were still left reacted in much the same manner, except for some girls who offered a quick prayer for Hongou's continued health.
Tohsaka Rin, Miss Perfect, the object of admiration throughout the school for her unblemished academic record and athletic ability. Or at least that had been her image until the beginning of her second year. A few weeks in, Rin finally became fed up with the abuse of Kirika's generous personality by her fellow students and revealed a temper that only two people had known she had. These days she was referred to around the hallways of the school as the 'Scarlet Devil' just as commonly as she was called 'Miss Perfect'. Her actions had also provoked the rumour mills as to the exact nature of the relationship between the two girls, but regardless of such fanciful stories, it was commonly known that to try and take advantage of Kirika was to risk the wrath of the Scarlet Devil.
"Come on Kirika-chan, time to go home." Rin said cheerfully as she came back into the classroom a few minutes later. Hongou was nowhere to be seen but Kirika tried not to let that bother her. The last time she had asked about the fate of those that Rin led away, she had been subjected to Rin's terrifyingly innocent smile and the question, 'do you really want to know?'
Some things were just better left untouched.
Many of the students bid the pair good day as they headed home. Both of them were famous around the school in their own right, for their looks as well as their behaviour during these two years that they had spent in high school. Nothing further needed to be said about Rin, but Kirika was known amonst the students as 'Homurabara's Browny' and 'Belldandy v.2.0.' after the famous manga character. She had other nicknames as well, not as nice as the ones before. 'The idiot with the toolkit' was one after her tendency to do anything that was asked of her including repairs of equipment around the school, 'Miss Naivete' was another popular title, especially amongst the female population of the school who didn't know whether to be relieved or exasperated by Kirika's total obliviousness to romance.
"Emiya, Tohsaka," a familiar voice called out to them as the two exited the main building. "Going straight home again?"
"Mitsuzuri? Shouldn't you be getting changed by now?" Rin asked as Kirika greeted their mutual friend.
"Fujimura sensei is in there so it doesn't matter if I am a few minutes late today," Mitsuzuri Ayako replied with an overly friendly smile as she came up to them.
"Getting lax with your duties as a captain are we Mitsuzuri?" Rin crossed her arms and took a step to the side to come between Ayako and Kirika. "Pity, I expected you to show more responsibility than that."
Ayako clicked her tongue as she was foiled in her approach. "Oh but I am showing responsibility Tohsaka. It's the captain's job to make sure that wayward members attend isn't it?"
"Hmm? I don't see any of your club members here Mitsuzuri," Rin said with the beginnings of another angelic smile on her face.
"Finally going blind are we? She's standing right behind you," Ayako said in reply.
"I never recall giving Kirika permission to join the Archery club," Rin mused whimsically.
"I don't recall you ever getting control over Emiya's personal life Tohsaka," Ayako replied with a grin.
"Eh? Eh?" Caught in between her friends, Kirika was looking between one and the other without a clue as to what she should say or do.
"We are busy today so give up Mitsuzuri," Rin announced. "Judging from past experience, you probably need to go and fetch seaweed head anyway."
"... It hurts that I can't deny that," Ayako groaned as she remembered what she had come out to do before she caught sight of the two.
"Bye Mitsuzuri!" Rin said with a cheerful wave as she began to drag Kirika out towards the gate.
Giving up for the day Ayako smiled and waved back. "Bye you two. Emiya, just forget about what Rin says and come out to the dojo once in a while. You are welcome at any time okay?"
"Maybe some day," Kirika was able to answer before she got too far off to talk without shouting.
As soon as they were far enough away from the school that there were no other people to overhear, Rin took down the facade of a perfect student that she wore in public and looked at Kirika with accusing eyes.
"What? What is it Rin?" asked Kirika, flustered by the way Rin was acting. She couldn't recall doing anything wrong, so she had no idea why Rin was looking at her like this.
"Kiri~ka," Rin sang in a light voice. "How many times have I told you not to fall for the next sob story you hear?"
"Oh, that," Kirika chuckled nervously as she tried not to meet Rin's eyes. "I was just trying to help."
"That's what you say every time," Rin said in a frustrated voice. "You are a mage, not some kind of good samaritan. You need to start getting used to the idea of equivalent exchange soon or you are going to have a lot of problems once you start working."
"..." Kirika visibly drooped. "But I don't have any talent as a mage. Even Kirei said so, that I would be better off as a magic user. Can't I just do what I want to do and help people out?"
"Kirika..." Rin frowned at Kirika's lack of motivation. "Don't pay attention to what that pseudo-priest says. You are my apprentice, and no one taught by a member of the Tohsaka family is going to end up as some amateur magic user." Under her breath Rin added something about not letting that much power be wasted. "You can help people out too. It's just that you need to start grasping the idea of getting something back for your help."
Kirika looked puzzled. "... But you aren't supposed to ask for payment when you help people."
"Ugh," Rin palmed her face as the usual headache that came with any discussion of Kirika's annoying habit began to make its presence known. "You... Never mind Kirika. It's not as if we can repair that broken down personality of yours in a few days after the years we've spent on it."
"... ?" It was clear that Kirika couldn't connect the dots here.
Rin sighed. It was hard looking after an apprentice as oblivious to her faults as Kirika was. Better to just ignore the issue and focus on the work she was going to have to do tonight.
-x-x-x-
"... Rin. Do we have to do this?"
"It's the easiest way Kirika. Or do you want me to 'violate' you again?"
"... I think this will do just fine."
"Good, now shut up and close your eyes already."
In a basement beneath the Tohsaka manor, two girls were kneeling in front of each other with a simply adorned dagger beside them. Kirika had her eyes closed and had a nervous air about her, a mental state shared by Rin though to a lesser degree. Taking a deep breath, Rin put something in her mouth and leant forward. Then, in an act that would have stunned the entire school if anyone found out about it, she covered Kirika's soft lips with her own.
"Mmph!" Kirika whimpered softly and jumped as contact was made.
Rin drew back a little and opened her eyes. "Stay still," she said awkwardly before she resumed the kiss. Raven black veiled copper brown as Rin's hair fell down to frame Kirika's face.
Cheeks red with embarassment and hints of other emotions, Kirika's eyes flew wide open as a foreign presence invaded her mouth. She would have drawn back, but this time Rin was prepared and held her steadfast against herself in a lover's embrace. The kiss continued for a long brief moment, and Kirika moaned as Rin forced her lips slightly open and passed her fluids through.
Then, finally, it was over. Freed from Rin's hold upon her, Kirika collapsed and let out a moan that was half of pleasure and half pain as something connected inside her, the unfamiliar energy burning her body inside and out as her circuits reacted to the intrusion. For herself, Rin had turned away and was crouched down with her head upon her knees. Her posture made it impossible to see her face, but from the way that even her neck was red it was entirely possible that she was blushing fiercely.
"Hah, hah, hah, hah," Taking heavy breaths, Kirika finally recovered enough energy to speak. "I ask again, hah, did we really have to do it this way?"
"It's not as if I wanted to do this either, but any other way would have been painful for you and the pass wouldn't have been as strong, and I suppose it wasn't that unpleasant, but that was my first... Wait what am I saying, this was just us connecting a pass. It doesn't count. It can't count. I can't have just given my first kiss to another girl, even if her lips were so soft...," Rin mumbled incoherently as she rocked back and forth.
"Say again?" Kirika asked innocently. She couldn't hear anything of what Rin was saying.
"Ahhhh! What am I saying?!" Rin suddenly screamed out loud and then surprised her by leaping up and grasping her by the collar of her shirt. "That was just us connecting a pass. Do you understand Kirika? We just connected a pass in order to share prana. It does not count as anything else. Alright?"
Frozen by the force behind Rin's words, Kirika could only nod instinctively in order to avoid the death that was promised by those frosty blue eyes should she do anything else.
Satisfied, Rin let go, and Kirika fell back down. "Start preparing the summoning circle when you have recovered then Kirika. I will help once I've finished getting everything ready."
"Okay," Kirika replied as she tried to get back up to her feet, only to collapse as her legs refused to work properly. "Ah... This might take a while."
Rin nodded absently as she dug out a small box from amidst a pile of containers holding everything required for the summoning ritual. "Your circuits are fused with your nerves like Kirei told you before, so you might be a little unsteady until your body gets used to the pass being there. Just sit tight until you recover."
Kirika accepted the explanation and sat there quietly as Rin proceeded to get this and that and rearrange it all for easy access. A few minutes went by this way before she felt that she could stand up again.
"That felt strange," she complained to Rin as she got to her feet. "Kind of like that time I nearly burnt out my circuits that first year."
"Don't remind me," Rin grumbled. "I still get nervous when I think about that. Do you know how worried I was when I realised that your circuits were out of control? Geez, you know you could have died then."
"Hee hee, thanks Rin," Kirika chuckled. "No need to worry anymore though. My control has improved a lot since then."
"Thank goodness," Rin mumbled as she embedded an Amethyst on one of the polar points in the circle that had been sketched out on the floor.
"But you know Rin," Kirika said with a small frown marring her brow. "Don't you have enough prana for the ritual already?"
"It never hurts to have more," Rin shrugged. "Besides, it's not as if you don't have any to spare. Your circuits are always overflowing with more prana than you can use."
Kirika sighed. "Even so Rin, that was my first -"
Kirika was interrupted by Rin's shrill shriek. "That wasn't a kiss! We were just connecting a pass okay?! It was a ritual! Not a kiss! I can't have given my first kiss to another girl! I can't have!"
"Eh? Rin? Calm down!" Kirika attempted to soothe Rin's temper, but it was already too late.
"It was my first kiss too you idiot!" Rin shouted as the crest of the Tohsaka family began to glow with a bright blue light.
An explosion rocked the house, and smoke began to stream out from the shattered windows that looked into the basement.
-x-x-x-
The clock struck 2, an hour of the night when most humans would be asleep.
"Das Material ist aus Silber und Eisen."
Ye first, O silver, O iron
In the basement of the Tohsaka mansion however, two young women stood in and around a circle that glowed with a bright red light.
"Der Grundstein ist aus Stein und dem Großherzog des Vertrag.
O stone of the foundation, O Archduke of the Contract
Der Ahn ist mein großer Meister Schweinorg."
Hear me in the name of our great teacher, the Archmagus Schweinorg
On the edge of the circle, Kirika squinted as the light from the circle grew brighter, fuelled by the prana being pulled out of both herself and the gems that Rin had saved for this day.
" Schutz gegen einen heftigen Wind.
Let the descending winds be as a wall
Schließ alle Tore, geh aus der Krone, zirkulier die Gabelung nach dem König.
Let the gates in all directions be shut, rising above the crown, and let the three-forked roads to the Kingdom revolve.
Füll, füll, füll, füll, füll.
Shut. Shut. Shut. Shut. Shut.
Es wird fünfmal wiederholt.
Five perfections for each repetition.
Nur ist es die volle Zeit gebrochen.
And now, let the filled sigils be annihilated in my stead!
-Satz."
Set.
Red was joined by a spectrum of other colours in the circle, a sign that the gems embedded into its structure were releasing and transforming the prana as they were meant to. The strain grew as Rin exhausted her own reserves and actively began to pull prana through the pass that had been created earlier. It was an uncomfortable feeling, much like having a raw electric current run through your body, but Kirika bore it without so much as a whisper. Compared to the circuit forging she did every day the pain was still bearable. She worried instead for Rin who had to handle all that power. One mistake here and it was unlikely that she would survive.
Du überläßt alles mir, mein Schicksal überläßt alles deinem Schwert.
Let thy body rest under my dominion, let my fate rest in thy blade.
Das basiert auf dem Gral, antwort wenn du diesem Willen und diesem Vernunftgrund folgst.
If thou submittest to the call of the Holy Grail and if thou wilt obey this mind, this reason, then thou shalt respond.
A final flaring of light, a pure white luminescence created by the union of the radiation from the various gems around the circle. Magnificient, that was the only way to describe it. Kirika knew very well that a ritual of this level was far beyond her crude skills, and she grinned wryly as she closed her eyes to protect her sight.
Rin's voice picked up as she entered into the final, crucial stage of the summoning. Kirika could feel that they were both at their limits, but Rin continued to pour prana into the circle without hesitation. All to overcome the barriers between this world and the next, putting everything on the line in order to obtain the greatest reward.
" Liegt das Gelübde hier.
I make my oath here.
Ich bin die Güte der ganzen Welt.
I am that person who is to become the virtue of all Heavens.
Ich bin das Böse der ganzen Welt.
I am that person who is covered with the evil of all Hades.
Du bist der Himmel mit dreien Wortseelen.
Thou seven heavens, clad in a trinity of words,
Komm, aus dem Kreis der Unterdrückung, der Schutzgeist der Balkenwaage-!"
come past thy restraining rings, and be thou the hands that protect the balance-!
A burst of light, then darkness. The sudden absence of illumination meant that Kirika couldn't see anything when she opened her eyes again, but even so she could tell that something was wrong.
"Nothing?" Rin whispered. "But that's -."
*CRASH* *Cr-THUD* *CRASH*
Rin looked at Kirika, Kirika looked back at Rin.
"Upstairs!" they said at the same time.
Kirika was the first to move, instinctively acting to encounter the unknown first so as to reduce the risk to Rin. With dagger in hand Kirika rushed up the stairs, when she got to the top she kicked the door open and followed straight through to catch whoever was behind the door by surprise. She soon found however that she needn't have bothered.
Sitting there, sprawled out amongst the ruins of what had once been an elegantly furnished lounge, was something that 'was not human'.
"What a rough summon," the 'being' grumbled as he extracted himself from the wreckage.
"Kirika!" Rin cried out as she came up. "Is everything alright?"
The 'man' that Kirika presumed was a servant raised an eyebrow as Rin burst into the room. "Tohsaka? Wait, two mages? Which one of you amateurs is my master?"
"A-a-amateurs?" Rin was shocked beyond words for a moment. "What kind of thing to say to your master is that?! Wait, what kind of servant are you in the first place?!"
"Servant Archer, at your service," the bronze skinned servant answered with a mocking grin. "Like what you see?"
"Archer?" Rin fell to her knees. "We poured in all that prana and I summoned an Archer instead of Saber? That doesn't make sense. What happened to equivalent exchange? What did I do wrong to get a weak servant like this?"
"Hey, hey, I'm standing right here girl," the servant looked displeased with Rin's dismissal of his ability. "Isn't a bit rude to call someone weak to their faces?"
Kirika was still weary of the servant for some reason, but she couldn't help but giggle as Rin realised her mistake and tried to rearrange her expression.
"It's not funny Kirika," Rin snapped at her with a blush on her face. "I apologise for my rudeness servant Archer, but please understand that the nature of your arrival has us a little off balance."
"I suppose it would," Archer said sarcastically. "It's my first time arriving in such a rough manner too. Did you draw the summoning circle with your foot or something?"
Rin visibly shook with rage as the servant yet again dismissed her skills. She tried to stand up in order to teach the rude servant a lesson but faltered on her first step as her legs gave out underneath her.
"Whoa, easy there master," said Archer. "No matter how crude the summon was you have got to be tired from it. Go take a nap or something, you look like you could do with some beauty sleep. It certainly wouldn't hurt your bust."
That was the last straw. Kirika flinched and backed away as Rin began to laugh softly, and she imagined that she saw a dark red aura fill the air around the other girl as she got to her feet again.
"Hu hu hu, I am amateur am I? A flat-chested kid? Very well Archer, I will take your advice and go to sleep for the day," Rin spoke in a sibilant tone that seemed to fill the air. "But while I'm sleeping, why don't you make yourself useful and clean the room?"
Archer's grin froze upon his face. "Huh? What did you just say master?"
Rin smiled. "Clean the room Archer."
"Yeah, that's what I thought you said," Archer said slowly. "I think you need to go and get your head checked master. I can't think of any other reason a mage would summon a Servant and then tell them to clean a room."
"Oh, but my head's perfectly fine Archer," Rin replied. "Now, be a good familiar and clean the room."
"... You have got to be kidding me," Archer said incredulously.
"Uhm, Rin? I'll take care of it so why don't you go to sleep?" Kirika butted in to try and stave off what she suspected would be a spectacular display of stupid pride on Rin's part.
"That wont do Kirika," Rin said firmly as she stared down the rebellious servant. "You are tired as well and we have a lot of work to do tomorrow as well. You are going to go to sleep with me."
"Huh. Not only did I get summoned by amateurs, but my master is a lesbian?" Archer seemed even more surprised than his statement would allow for some reason.
Rin realised what she had said and blushed fiercely. "It's not like that! Ahhhhhh! That's it!"
Archer and Kirika's eyes grew wide as Rin rolled up her sleeve.
"Uh, master? What are you doing?"
"Rin? You can't be thinking to..."
"Shut up and obey me!" Rin shouted, ignoring their questions.
One of the command seals on Rin's hand flashed red for a second before it disappeared. The effect was immediately visible as Archer seemed to freeze for a moment before he sat up. However, the power required to use the command seal in such a manner appeared to be the last stroke for Rin, as she collapsed in a heap into Kirika's arms.
"Rin? Are you okay?" Kirika asked, worried for her friend and teacher's health.
"I forgot..." Rin mumbled, her eyes half closed already.
"... ?" Kirika blinked. "What did you forget?"
Rin slumped even further, her eyes shutting slowly. "The clocks... They are all one hour fast right now... One... Not two..."
Kirika thought over what Rin had said as she rearranged Rin so that she would be more comfortable. One? Not two? Oh, the time. Now that she thought about it, Rin had purposely waited for two o'clock when the heavens would be in perfect alignment with her powers. If her clocks were an hour fast...
She looked at the clock. Four past two, or rather four past one. Heh, that figured.
"Looks like the Tohsaka curse strikes yet again," Kirika whispered softly as she lifted Rin up in order to take her to her room.
"You going to be alright taking her up like that?" Archer asked, surprisingly her with the concern she could hear in his voice.
"I will be fine Archer-san," she replied, reassessing her opinion of the servant in her mind. He was actually an okay guy. "I'm stronger than I look."
"You would have to be," Archer stated as he looked over the girl whose arms were as thin as sticks.
Kirika rolled her eyes, used to the dismissal of her physical abilities by others when they first met her. "Well, I apologise on Rin's behalf Archer-san. She's actually much more considerate than this. I think it was just the fatigue from the summon coupled with the shock of summoning you when she fully expected to get a Saber out of the whole deal that threw her off balance."
"Yeah I know," Archer smiled, then paused. "I mean, I can tell."
Kirika smiled. "That's good. Are you going to clean up the room like she asked though?" she asked as she shifted her hold on Rin's body to a bridal carry.
"Heh, might as well," Archer replied. "I don't have anything else to do and I may as well make myself useful."
"Thanks Archer-san," Kirika said. She suppressed a sudden urge to yawn and realised that she too needed some rest. "I will leave you to it then. I need to get Rin to her room before my legs give out on me."
"Good night," Archer waved at her flippantly. "Oh, and by the way, what's your name?"
Kirika stopped at the doorway and looked back. "I'm Emiya Kirika, Archer-san. You can tell me your true name tomorrow when Rin's awake."
Having said that Kirika left with Rin in her arms. Her limbs felt heavier with every step she took, but she needed to get to Rin's room at least before she closed her eyes.
Behind her, in the wrecked lounge, Archer stood frozen where he stood. Surprise evident upon his face.
"Emiya... Kirika?" he muttered in a puzzled tone. "What kind of world am I in now?"