Path of the Broken Mage (AU) [Not quite Canon Compliant!]

Summary: AU. Not quite Canon Compliant. Morgan Le Fay summons a Heroic Spirit to murder King Arthur, what came to her was the Mage Shirou Emiya. Forced to fight the woman he loves against his will, he is captured and taken to Camelot as a prisoner. What will he do when Arturia sees him only as a heartless monster who butchered her knights?

"Pain provides an opportunity for heroism; the opportunity is seized with surprising frequency."
― C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain

Author's Note: Yes, in some legends, Arthur has sons, but they all died tragically, it fits perfectly into theNasuverse, they all had E-rank luck! Loholt was murdered by Kay so he could take credit for killing the giant Logrin. Llacheu was slain in battle, Duran dies at Camlann, and Arthur slew Amhar for unknown reasons, and probably the one that I find the saddest, Gwydre got gored to death by a boar while on a quest. Also tweaked the grammar errors people keep telling me about, I think I found the one that bugged me the most so hopefully I got it fixed, I always end up fixing stuff in these chapters anyway so never print my story for like the first week.

Shirou's reaction to her children is going to be great.

I've had the worst experience with the fandom because of this fanfic, so now I expect everyone to be pissed off at me. The negative feedback has gotten to me because I've been dealing with it for over a year, one fan actually made me cry, stupid jerk. Interacting with people regarding this fic has turn.

I have been told to "Harden the Fuck up" but I've been putting up with criticism for a year and I'm tired. I just want to have fun in the the up Nasuverse fandom for awhile. I'm tired of holding the flame shield over my head. The fanbase has soured me so much I'm turning into the Archer of the fandom. I'm immensely cynical when it comes to interacting with Fate fans and I'm really nervous about posting any fanfic here. People say "Put up the flame shield" as a joke, but there's only so much the flame shield can take before it breaks. Mine broke and I'm too tired to keep holding it up. I'm just happy they haven't soured me against the actual franchise! I find it so hard to interact with fans when half of them bite my head off over something as silly as an Alternate Universe fanfic.

I'm fully prepared for incoming written abuse, constant complaints about characterization and Type Lunatics never leaving me alone and dreading updating this story !update

I will post my old chapeters on Saturdays, depending on how badly my head gets bitten off I suppose. I wish I was joking about that part!

NOT CANON, ALTERNATE UNIVERSE FANFIC AHEAD!

Demons Do Not Cry

Morgan Le Fay quietly approached her prisoner, he was a defiant one, all forms of torture did nothing to break his resolve, he would not become her Servant of his own free will. She would be forced to waste her first Command Seal to put him in his place.

"You're still alive, Heroic Spirit," she smirked.

Morgan Le Fay is mistaken, he is not a heroic spirit, he is a mage, and he was powerful, but she was far stronger than he anticipated, and despite his valiant attempt to escape from her castle, she had overpowered him, and had tortured him for months.

"I'm not a Heroic Spirit," Shirou snapped angrily. "I'm a human."

"You aren't much of a man now either," she sneered, she'd made sure that the pains and tortures were horrific in nature, but she planned to heal him enough to make him "functional" whether he agreed to help her or not, but she was growing inpatient, she wanted nothing more than to unleash this powerful spirit on Arturia to watch her struggle against this monster as he slaughtered her people and her knights.

She'd read his thoughts with difficulty, his mental shields had been formidable, but she'd learned of his lover called Saber, even though Morgan could not see the woman's image, she knew that Shirou loved her. What better way to hurt him than by ruining his body so he could not make love to this woman, whoever she was.

Shirou glared at her, he was bound and determined to live, he wouldn't die like this in some castle dungeon, tortured to death, he would escape and find Saber, he could endure any pain and torture for her sake, and he wouldn't let the Witch think she'd won because she'd mutilated him. Once he found Saber, she would heal him completely.
At least he hoped so; he'd had his stomach blown out by Berserker, he had not been castrated by Morgan Le Fay.

Still in theory, being around Saber again would heal him, but right now, that wasn't happening. He could really use some morphine right now, it was wishful thinking.

He could withstand this torture, he'd been through worse. He would escape and find Saber, he would see her again.

"I really didn't want to use it, seems like such a waste, but if it will make you my obedient Servant then I will use it!" Morgan Le Fay seethed. "By my first Command Seal, go to the six villages nearby and slay all you see, kill all who try to stop you!"

"I can't. I won't!" Shirou screamed, enraged.

But the Command Seal compelled him to move, but his mind was still completely functional. He was in the worst form of hell he could imagine and he couldn't stop himself. He knew he would kill all those people.

He would not be a hero of justice, but there was something that caused him far more agony.

His evil deeds would cut him off from Saber in Avalon, and Saber in her own present time, how would he be able to look her in the face knowing what he was being forced to do?
Shirou approached the village, as he was stopped by the town guard; he cut them down without a word.

The panic and the screaming would echo in Shirou's ears for eternity. He slew all he saw, even as tears streamed down his face.

All the men and women were dead, the children were almost all dead, save for a few that hid in a barn.

"Demons do not cry. I am a demon because I couldn't cry anymore right? Humans cry, and when their tears finally run dry, there's nothing left but a demon or a monster and one final prayer for death."

The children huddled together, weeping and wailing in fear. Shirou felt he was trapped in a horrific nightmare as his arms raised his swords to strike them down, and he could do nothing to stop himself.

"You mustn't cry, children. Say your prayers before you sleep. Amen children."

His blades passed through them one by one, but as he came to the last child, he used every ounce of his willpower to stay his blades.
"Run!" he screamed through his tears. "RUN!"

The sole survivor of the village did just that.

And so the Archer of Red became the terror of Britain.

The little boy could only hear Shirou's agonized cries as he looked back one last time to see the Archer of Red, kneeling on the ground, his eyes raised to heaven, sobbing in agony.

-------

King Arthur sat on her throne, seething in rage. Over the last six days, six children had begged entrance to Camelot, each bringing with them a horrific tale of the slaughter of their entire villages by one man, an archer in red. They didn't know why he came, but all he did was butcher them like cattle, and any who tried to fight him died horrifically, impaled by dozens of swords.

"My Lord, we must do something!" Lancelot Du Lac shouted. "We shall ride out immediately and slay this man!"

A young man stepped forward, "Father, let my brothers and I go and defeat this Archer of Red, we'll bring back his head with a tale of adventure worthy of the Round Table!"

"No you will not, Amhar!" Arthur gazed down at her son; it had been very difficult for Merlin to help her conceive more children with Guinevere after Morgan Le Fay stole the semen to create Mordred, but she had five sons, Amhar, Gwydre, Llacheu, Duran and Loholt. She loved all of them dearly, raised them well and did not play favorites, but as they grew older, they demanded to know which one of them would succeed her after she died.

The nobles talked, whispering that the King's indulgence with his wife would cause a succession crisis, and people were already taking sides, pressuring the king to choose an heir to the throne of Camelot.

"We are brave and valiant father, we can defeat him," Llacheu agreed with Amhar, "The five of us shall vanquish him!"

"By my faith, my sons will be the death of me!" Arthur groaned, burying her face in her palm. "Your brashness will kill you, have I not taught you to be wary when approaching any mage?"

"But father, we can—" Loholt joined in the chorus.

"No! We will battle this mage with the might of Britain's armies, you'll do as I say and stay here until we are ready to leave!" Arthur glared at her sons. They fell silent and left.

Once they were out of earshot, Duran spoke, "I told you all not to say anything to father, and look how it turned out. He keeps us cooped up in the castle; he won't even send us out on Quests with any of the Round Table!"

"I agree with Duran, but you all dragged me in there," Gwydre sighed.

"Father's gone soft," Amhar smirked. "If we can defeat this mage, surely father will choose one of us as his successor, it will most certainly be me!"

"Oh shut up Amhar!" Llacheu snapped. "If father picks among the five of us, I will become king."

"Pff," Loholt laughed. "I'm far more worthy to be king than all of you."

"If father chooses an heir, it's going to be Gwydre," Duran informed them.

"Me? Why me?" Gwydre asked, stupefied.

"You're the only one who doesn't want it."

"What are we going to do about the mage?" Llacheu asked.

"We're going to kill him of course!" Amhar replied.

"But father said—" Gwydre began.

"Oh, Gwydre, are you going to play the obedient son forever, look, between the five of us, Arthur's sons, this mage won't stand a chance, and we're the best of Camelot's knights!" Amhar said confidently.

"Tell that to Sir Lancelot," Llacheu smirked.

"The Knights of the Round Table haven't gone after this Archer of Red yet, we'll stop him before they do, and between the five of us, a bag of silver for whoever kill him!"

"This isn't a game, Amhar," Gwydre sighed.

"Now where's the fun in that?" Amhar laughed. "We'll leave under cover of darkness and search for this Archer."

That evening they left, and it only took them a few days to find the mysterious Archer in Red, they approached him as he walked down the road towards a nearby village.

"Halt Archer!" a voice shouted to Shirou.

Shirou turned and saw five young men approach him; they wore bright armor and had blonde hair and green eyes.

"Sa…ber…?" he asked, shocked, no, they weren't her, but they all bore a strong resemblance to her, but who were they?

"You will no longer terrorize these lands, Archer of Red, you will fall here!" the young man shouted.

"And who are you?" Shirou asked. He'd never seen any of these men in Arturia's memories.

"We are the sons of King Arthur, I am Amhar, but you won't care about that for long, you'll die quickly!"

Sons?! Saber has sons?! But the only one I've ever seen is Mordred!

Then Shirou remembered, it was very obscure Arthurian lore that mentioned Arthur had many sons, by various women depending on the stories, but at least one of them was legitimate, but they all died under unfortunate circumstances, war and betrayal killed them all, but even then, their stories were so obscure that their names were not well known like the Knights of the Round Table.

Shirou notched an arrow that he traced, even as his hands tried to resist the Command Seal which forced him to fight.

Gwydre had fallen back, he hadn't wanted to come in the first place, but it gave him the chance to observe his brothers as they fought the Archer of Red.

"Caladbolg!" he shouted, he fired the arrow. Gwydre could see the arrow as it flew and barely missed his brothers as the aftershock blew them off their feet.
That arrow he fired, it seemed familiar, but it was like something out of a story he'd been told.

Amhar climbed to his feet, unsheathing his sword, he attacked the Archer viciously, only for him to be beaten back by the Archer, with just a short sword.
Suddenly, and quite unexpectedly, Gwydre saw that the man wielded two short swords, they were intricate and beautiful, and unlike any pair of blades he'd seen before.
Every thrust, slash, cut and parry the Archer made only had killing intent behind it.

Gwydre knew they'd foolishly gone out to die.

The man's movements, they were crisp and efficient, they hadn't been expecting an archer that could wield a sword, let alone two. But there was something else that terrified him down to his soul.

This man fought like Father, it wasn't mimicry, but he knew this man whoever he was, had been trained to fight by Father.

Is he one of Father's allies who betrayed him for Le Fay?

Gwydre could only stare in awe; the man had reflexes quick as Father's and he could see flourishes of Arthur's swordplay in battle. But when had Father trained such a man, and why?

Amhar was growing frustrated, he'd disarmed this man constantly, but always he had a weapon in his hand, it was like he could pull them from thin air.

Amhar gasped in shock as the Archer short sword opened a wound in his side, all the way from his hip to his chest.

He screamed in agony.

Shirou was mortified, he hadn't wanted to wound him so gravely, but the Command Seal to kill all who tried to stop him was still in effect, but what terrified him more was how slow they were, he was so used to Saber's quick reflexes and nigh unbreakable defense that he'd forgotten that not everyone he fought had her level of skill in swordplay.

"Amhar!" Loholt screamed, "I'll kill you Archer!"

"For your father's sake, stay back, I will kill you, and I don't want to, please! Don't make me do this!"

Two of the five stepped forward to do battle with him.

Then Gwydre heard the Archer utter an incantation, one that he would never forget but would remember with terror and dread for as long as he lived.
"I am the bone of my sword."

Gwydre knew in his heart, if he and his brothers remained in the vicinity of this Archer of Red, they would assuredly die.

"Retreat, everyone retreat!"

Only Duran heard him, Loholt, Llacheu, and Amhar paid him no heed, they charged straight at the Archer.

"Steel is my body and fire is my blood. I have created over a thousand blades. Unknown to Death, Nor known to Life. Have withstood pain to create many weapons. Yet, those hands will never hold anything. So as I pray, unlimited blade works."

Shirou knew this was not the true incantation of Unlimited Blade Works, but, rather, one borne of his sorrow and grief of not only the loss of his dear Saber, but the loss of his heroism that Le Fay had forced him to abandon.

Gwydre watched in awe as the world ripped itself apart, and he found himself standing on a hill of swords.

A dozen swords tore themselves out of the ground and flew at him, he managed to dodge most of them, but one embedded itself in his shoulder.
Loholt and Llacheu were skewered through their sides as they tried to make their way towards the Archer.

They were all going to die here, and their father would be deeply grieved. Gwydre gritted his teeth, he would save his brothers and they would return home.

He ran forward and grabbed Amhar and Loholt, Duran grabbed Llacheu and they ran until the world righted itself and they found their horses, they made their way back to Camelot with all speed.

-------

Arthur had been pacing in her bedchamber, worried about her sons' departures; she knew exactly what they were doing.

She looked up when a servant arrived; telling her that her sons had encountered the Archer of Red, but three of them had been gravely wounded.

"Amhar?" Arthur looked at her son in horror. His wounds were so grave, she was amazed he wasn't dead, but he was still alive by some miracle.

"Call the Court physicians! Now!" They took her sons away, trying to staunch the bleeding.

Suddenly, an arrow embedded itself at her feet. She stepped back and gazed up at the battlements of Camelot.

There at the top was the Archer of Red, his red coat made him stand out, along with his bright red hair, she could see his gold eyes gazing down at her, and she glanced to the arrow she had pulled from the ground.

She saw the note attached to it. Arthur opened it and read:

"Only the magnificent King of Knights may defeat me! I await you, my nemesis!"

"How dare you mock me, you bastard!" Arthur screamed at the Archer. "I'll send you to Hell!"

"I can't wait to see you again, Saber, my death at your hands will be my salvation."

"Guards, catch him!" Arthur ordered.

"My Lord, he vanished!" they shouted to her as they searched for him.

Arthur clenched her fist, "You're a dead man, Archer!"