All work and no play makes Tesculpture slow to update.
Wow, two The Shining references? I've never even seen that movie.
Anyway, this next bit won't make sense if you haven't read Shattered Heaven, so be warned.
Part 2:
Shirou was singing.
“…And believe me, I am still alive…”
He was singing and posing like an opera singer, raising his hands to emphasize his voice. A blinding light behind him sillouetted his body, making it impossible to make out his features in the otherwise complete darkness.
“…I'm doing science and I'm still alive…”
“Shut up.”
Ignoring the command, he continued to sing, turning slowly around as he did so. “…I feel FANTASTIC and I'm still alive…”
“SHUT UP.”
Having completed the turn, he lowered his hands to his hips and leaned forward. “…While you are dying, I’ll be still alive…”
“SHUT UP!”
Shirou kept leaning closer, his face ceasing to be sillouetted by the light, his glinting teeth laid bare by a leering evil smile. “…And when you are dead, I’ll be still alive…”
“SHUT UP!!!”
With a violent jerk Archer awoke, toppling forward as his reaction launched him away from the wall he had fallen asleep against.
It took a minute of breathing hard, looking around and cursing repeatedly to confirm and reassure himself of his current situation. He was currently at the top of the Fuyuki Central Building, having nodded off leaning against the rooftop access.
At last recovering some composure, Archer moved to the edge of the roof, leaning on it and staring out at the view.
There was no need to worry about Mirror Shirou, he told himself. He hadn’t just defeated him, he had defeated him in the most final way possible. It was just an unpleasant dream, born of an unpleasant experience.
It had been a week or so since Rin had succeeded in recalling him from the mirror reality. That had been the end of Archer’s dealings with that temporal aberration from the norm…at least, he had wanted it to be. But the truth of the matter was the experience was still haunting him now.
While his time there had only amounted to two days and three nights, in that short space of time his instincts had been completely overwritten. Now he often found himself forgetting he was back in his home reality, and reacting to seeing Rin and Shirou as if they were their evil counterparts.
And then there was him.
…Archer…
…I…
As desperate as Archer had been to escape that awkward moment, spontaneously disappearing with no explanation seemed more than a bit cruel. Would Mirror Gil have the strength to carry on his life without his mentor, a proper goodbye, or even clarification on his chances? Archer desperately hoped that was the case.
At the moment, however, that relationship was the least of his worries – his one with Rin was also under strain. She hadn’t taken his hint that where he’d gone was something she would be better off not knowing, instead feeling deeply betrayed by his decision not to tell her.
It wasn’t like Archer was unaware of Rin’s hurt feelings; he very much wanted to make up for them, but he couldn’t see a way forward. He couldn’t lie about it; Rin knew his signs and would undoubtedly spot any fabrication he made. Distracting her with some other action or gesture wouldn’t work either; unless he gave her what she was asking for, the rift between them would remain.
He could tell her the truth, but how did one explain something like this? “By the way, there is a version of you out there who is completely evil to the core,” wasn’t going to cut it. When he had encountered the evil version of himself (technically the younger, past version of himself, but himself nonetheless) he had experienced a sudden feeling of horror unlike anything he had felt before. He had eventually grown used to it, like everything in the mirror reality, but while it had persisted, it had been almost paralyzing in its strength. He didn’t know if it was seeing one’s evil twin in the flesh or just knowing they existed, but one way or another, he had no desire to inflict the same trauma on his Master.
And so he was stuck. He could either hurt her by withholding the truth, or hurt her by divulging it.
What a brilliant choice.
Having found no epiphany in the view, Archer pushed away from the rail and began making his way to ground level.
* * * * *
He had crossed the bridge over the river and was making his way back towards the Tohsaka Residence when it happened.
There was no warning of any kind; one second Archer was walking along, minding his own business; the next second his stomach had leapt up into his ribcage, done three consecutive backflips and collapsed into a black hole.
“OOOLP?!!!” Just managing to halt the tide of vomit that shot up his throat, Archer stopped in his tracks, his face screwing up in nausea and confusion.
Then, as he registered the sickly sweet feeling flowing through his body that had prompted the reaction, his eyes went wide with horror.
It was the mirror reality's abnormal mana, flowing into him from his contract with Mirror Sakura.
A link that could only exist while he was in the mirror reality.
For a moment Archer was rooted to the spot, his mind reeling at the implications of the sudden sensation.
Then his head was frantically spinning in every direction, desperately looking for something, anything, that would disprove what he knew nonetheless was true.
But there was nothing. He couldn't see any major landmarks in the street he was in; scrutinizing the buildings he could see just caused his mind to play tricks on him, unable to tell if anything was as it should be or not.
Driven to distraction by anxiety, he suddenly took off at a sprint, weaving wildly through the nonplussed pedestrians, going as fast as he could without looking abnormal.
Please let it be normal. Please let this be my imagination running away with me...
Reaching the Tohsaka Residence, he tore upstairs, nearly breaking a door down in his efforts to get it open. He needed something, something certain to be a particular way in his world; something that would tell him he hadn't gone back...
But it was no good and he knew it. That feeling wasn't a lie; the situation was obvi-
The sweaters were red.
Lurching to a stop, Archer stared at the contents of Rin's closet, which he had just yanked open. Inside, red sweaters, neatly folded, sat in stacks, each waiting for their turn to grace their owner's slender frame.
Red sweaters.
Not blue, like Mirror Rin's.
He racing thoughts brought to a standstill by this revelation, Archer registered the sickly feeling in his stomach begin to fade.
But had it ever been there? The mirror mana hadn't quite cleared from his system since his return; mayber his body had started running on a concentration of it that still remained?
Noticing his sweaty, shell-shocked appearance in a mirror, Archer straightened himself up and decided he needed another walk.
Taking a route through the shopping district, he made his way towards the river, moving through the pedestrians at a more sedate pace.
Of course, it was obviously just a flash back; just like the trouble he was having with Rin and the others. Also an indication that keeping what he knew to himself much longer wasn't going to work. Letting the idea he had somehow stepped back into a completely different universe get away with him had been foolish.
Ludicrous.
Stupid.
Beyond the realm of sanity.
This last attempt at self-assertion however rung empty and meaningless in Archer's head, for at that moment, he caught sight of the Fuyuki Bridge.
It was green.
Archer closed his eyes and shook his head.
It was still green.
This wasn't a flashback. He was definitely seeing the lime green mirror reality bridge. And now that he was concentrating again, he could feel the sickly mana supply too.
Oh God no...
But a second ago...
Spinning on his heel, Archer went rushing back to the Tohsaka Residence a second time...
...and once again, found a closet of red sweaters.
Hang on a second...
This time, it was away from the house he ran, sprinting back to where he had seen the bridge.
It was green.
It couldn't be...
Cue rapid transit to Tohsaka Residence...
...and red sweaters.
What the fuck?!
Having an idea, he began retracing his steps through town, and sure enough Archer found there was specific point where his mana supply changed. There was no warning, no gradual change, no sound; it simply snapped from Rin's to Mirror Sakura's.
Further experimentation however revealed it wasn't so much a fixed point as a random occurrence as he travelled. Sometimes he jumped back and forth twice as he redid the route, sometimes nothing happened at all. Sometimes he'd be almost at his destination; other times he'd be halfway there. There was no telling when it would happen; the only way he could stop it for sure was by standing still.
But what did this mean? Had Rin's attempt to bring him back failed? Was he stuck somehow between the two worlds? What if he got stuck in the wrong reality again? If he vanished in front of Rin, it would probably be the final nail in the coffin for the trust between them.
“GRRR...Why is this HAPPENING again?!” He growled, taking his frustration out on a nearby wall.
Okay, don't panic. It's a massive city we're in; as long as you stay away from the church and that flat Mirror Gil lived in, the chances of encountering them are minimal. The others meanwhile are at school, so you have a few hours to fix this.
At least he hadn't been spotted appearing out of thin air by anyone; that would have been awkward. So far all the transitions had occurred while Archer was relatively alone, though whether that was just a coincidence, he wasn't sure.
With few other options, he once again began heading for home. At present, he was in the mirror reality; he'd just have to hope he transitioned back before he got to the house.
Up ahead, he spied a large crowd of people semi-organised into a queue in front of what appeared to be an icecream parlour. The street was a narrow, pesdestrian-only affair, the queue blocking its entire width. Hoping he didn't change realities just as he was passing it, he quickened his pace and prepared to excuse his way through.
Before he could reach it however, a figure elbowed his way out of the throng.
“What the...?!” Archer froze in place, wide eyed.
“Archer?” Mirror Kotomine stared back, then broke into a smile and made his way over. “Archer! You're finally back as well! It's great to see you!”
Archer tried and failed miserably to give an amiable response. “What...what are you doing here?!”
“Well...getting icecream of course,” Mirror Kotomine said explanatorily, indicating the sundae in his hand. “I can't stand spicy food at all-”
“That's not what I mean! I...I saw you... We all saw you...”
Finally twigging what Archer was getting at, Mirror Kotomine ushered him further from the crowd. “I suppose the same reason as you!”
“It can't be! I was reca......I mean, yes, most likely, but why? How can you – and I – be alive?”
The response was a shrug. “Your guess is as good as mine. Last thing I remember is Shirou grinning while he stabbed me in the chest. Next thing I know, I've woken up in the church, Gilgamesh and Miss Matou are staring at me like they've seen a ghost, and the War has been over for four months!”
“Well no wonder!”
Suddenly Mirror Kotomine smiled and held out a hand. “Listen; they told me what happened. I don't think I said this before......thanks.”
“...Don't mention it.” Archer returned the handshake but the smile he put on was hollow. This one encounter had pretty much torn it for solving his problem without being discovered in this world. Now, unless he somehow convinced Mirror Kotomine to keep it a secret, it was only a matter of time before everyone knew he was here.
Everyone.
EVERYONE.
An alarm went off in Archer's head. “Wait a second. When you said I was back 'as well', what exactly did you mean?”
“Ah...” Mirror Kotomine put on a more serious look. He began to speak, but paused as a tall, gaunt man in a white trench coat moved past, pulled along by the multitude of white dogs on leashes.
“...You and I aren't the only ones who have been ressurected. Virtually everyone who took part in the Holy Grail War is back; Assassin and his Master, Caster, Berserker, Rider, Lancer, and, unfortunately, Saber and Rin.”
Archer stared in horror. “They're all...?”
“Yep.”
The next words he was barely able to whisper. “And Shirou?”
This time however he got a shake of the head. “No, actually; Shirou seems to be the only one who hasn't been ressurected,” Mirror Kotomine gave him a grim smile. “I guess there is some justice in the world after all, eh?”
Archer nodded with a relieved sigh, and this time it was heartfelt. His nightmare hadn't come to pass.
But Mirror Kotomine still wasn't finished. “That said, I'm afraid another part of my past has come back to haunt me.”
“Eh?” Not understanding, Archer raised an eyebrow.
“A girl...named Caren Ortensia.”
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Originally Posted by ItsaRandomUsername
