Fate/Heaven's Gate (Reboot!) IC Thread

[Mellon]

Bazett Fraga McRemitz
Date - January 16, 2007 AD
Time - 16:47 AM
Location - Ireland, Near Courtown, Forest

The door to the cottage closed with a click, as Bazett let out a sigh of relief.

In all honesty, if she could have avoided coming here, she would have done so. Not because her relations with her family were bad, quite the opposite, in fact, but rather to avoid the inevitable misconception that she was leaving the Association and returning home. Her family had not approved her running away and joining the Clock Tower. The town had not changed one bit, ever since she first left. It was still as lonesome and… “quaint” for the lack of a better word, as she remembered. All the reasons that prompted her to flee from this place in the first place. At the time it had felt as if she would follow the path of all the dead gods that her family had worshiped over the ages. Lost to the wayside, not even remembered by the ones who were supposed to be their most devoted followers.

“Haa... The air in the British Isles is as just as crisp as I remember. Far better then the constant humidity and blazing heat of South East Asia.”

“I wouldn’t say that aloud if I were you. That term has a lot of bad history around these parts, you know?”

“Oh right, my apologies. I’ll try to keep that in mind in the future. Putting that aside for a second though… this is quite the setup you guys have over here.”

The cottage they had stepped into was occupied by all sorts of supernatural items. Thick tomes, written in what appeared to be in Old Gaelic, lined the walls along with a variety of other catalysts. Various focal crystals, a number of oak branches, mistletoe, runes inscribed in stones and countless more items lay on the shelves around them. Judging from the near pristine condition of everything in the room, it was most likely covered with a Boundary Field of some sort that prevented decay. And that was not even the most impressive part. In the middle of the cottage, a large stood a massive trunk of an ash tree, the tree itself seemingly growing into the cottage itself, fusing into the roof and causing the walls to be lined with countless branches. An emerald pattern of runes circled the ash tree, forming a perfect Magic Circle. With a calm swipe of her fingers, Bazett caused the torches inside the relatively shadowed room to immediately burst into flame.

The red haired enforcer gave a pleased smile at my words, as she moved through the room, checking the various reagents, while giving a mental explanation.

“The Fraga’s are an old family. We might not have influence, but if nothing else, we at least have history. This is one of the cottages we have set aside for magical work and rituals. The building itself was moulded from the tree using runes and praying circles handed down from the Age of Gods. The ash tree itself is quite ancient and has started to accumulate mystery of its own. In addition, it has a strong connection to Druidism, meaning that it will provide an environment where druidic and runic rituals are enhanced.”

“This specific tree is over 1300 years old. If this long distance summoning attempt of ours is to succeed, we need to greatly amplify the strength of our ritual, otherwise we will not be able to connect to the Grail.”

“I see. You are probably correct. The only ones who have summoned abroad so far are the Einzbern’s. And they have a direct link to the Lesser Grail. Heck, the Lesser Grail is the one who will summon in this war. Most likely they have an already inbuilt connection to the Grail.”

“Right. Which is why we need to use pure magical strength to overcome that limitation.”

That was one aspect at the very least. If they did manage to summon Cu, then the spearman in blue should, at least in theory, be vastly stronger then what he could recall from his hazy memories. If the war was anything like the one that he remembered, then additional strength would be needed. Against Gilgamesh and Berserker at the very least. That was if it was anything like the 5th he remembered. What little knowledge he had managed to gleam from Bazett about the 4th left him… concerned at the very least.

No, a stronger Servant would definitely not be amiss here.

“We have the circle and the catalyst. Now the incantation, I guess? Technically, I don’t think it is truly necessary. As long as we have the catalyst, a circle and the intent, we should be able to summon. Though, considering the distance and… troubles we could wind up in, its better to probably use the chant.”

“I know a few, but the Toshaka one is probably most applicable here. I am not sure if the others would even apply…but first things first. We need to make sure that there are no potential catalysts nearby. Could you place everything near the circle a bit of a ways off? The other side of the room is fine. We don’t want to pull a random heroic spirit, just because we forgot something that might be a catalyst near the circle.”

Like a certain dark haired tsundere magus. The worst thing that could happen would be if they would summon a completely unknown Heroic Spirit at random. It might have worked out for Rin with EMIYA, but for some reason, he doubted that there were many Heroic Spirits in Ireland that could match up to the Child of Light. Most of the reagents in the workshop were also fairly old, making it very likely that at least one or two were catalysts of some sort. His mind wondered to the earring nested in the Enforcers pocket. The earring was a strong catalyst, a runic earring that was worn and inscribed by the spearman himself, but if things came down to it, he would rather not risk things if possible.

“Done.”

“Right, then just follow my instructions.”

A drop of blood fell from the extended fist of the Irish Enforcer, activating the dormant magical circle almost instantly. The room was immediately filled with a glow of bluish-green energy, as the circle pulsed with magical energy. Bazett’s circuits were wide open, channeling magical energy into the magic circle, which in turn caused the ancient pattern to amplify and mold it. Her mouth opened, and almost as if in a trance, the words of an unfamiliar ritual spilled from her lips.

Ye first, O silver, O iron.
O stone of the foundation, O Archduke of the Contract.
Hear me in the name of our great teacher, the Archmagus Schweinorg.
Let the descending winds be as a wall.
Let the gates in all directions be shut, rising above the crown, and let the three-forked roads to the Kingdom revolve.

The torrent of magical energy rushing through her circuits caused intense pulses of pain to flash through her body, before being squashed by an iron will. Her flesh was starting to forget its normal functionality and was starting to become merely a tool to connect the supernatural with the material. A circuit to bring about miracles, nothing more.

Shut. Shut. Shut. Shut. Shut.
Five perfections for each repetition.
And now, let the filled sigils be annihilated in my stead!
Set.
Let thy body rest under my dominion, let my fate rest in thy blade.
If thou submitteth to the call of the Holy Grail, and if thou wilt obey this mind, this reason, then thou shalt respond.

The magical ritual solidified, morphing from something that was simply a chaotic and untameable mass of prana, into something which had an almost incomprehensible structure. The massive tree in the middle of the circle pulsed with magical energy of its own as the prana of the ritual rushed through it, letting out a soft, almost ephemeral glow of its own as the chant continued to echo throughout the small cottage.

I make my oath here.
I am that person who is become the virtue of all Heaven.
I am that person who is covered with the evil of all Hades.
Thou seven heavens, clad in a trinity of words,
come past thy restraining rings, and be thou the hands that protect the balance-!

And with a final, intense crescendo, the magical energy reached its peak as the ritual was completed.

[Milbunk]

Somewhere in Georgia

As the car made its the way through towns and countrysides, occasionally the coastline would come into view. Though neither of them had ever been to this particular country they used any maps and directions they could find. Thanks to the wonders of the modern era such information was fairly easy to come by even for Kuzuki.

The silence however was nearly unbearable even for the normally quiet one inside Kuzuki's head.

'Uh hey, so I think we should be there sometime soon... How are you feeling?'

'I am fine, there are no problems.'

'I see...'

'What was I like from the world you remember?'

'Oh uh, well I suppose you were much the same as you are here. Everyone else however seems like they were a bit different though.'

'How so?'

'Uh well, I suppose they were a little more normal? Less special? Something like that, well at least as far as I can tell anyways from what little I've seen of them really.'

'Could you be more descriptive?'

'Uh sure if you want, uh take Issei Ryuudou for example. In the universe that I am most familiar with his brother and father were still alive, he uh also was a little more well behaved? More like uh an honor student I suppose? He was also really good at helping to keep the students in control. From what I most remember anyways the two of you got along really well. At least from what I could tell.'

'What about other people?'

'Well uh you mentioned that Shirou is blind right? Well in the universe I remember he could see just fine. Perhaps some sort of accident this time around? From what I remember he got in a couple of those but I'm not sure which one this one could be from. I'll have to think about that... As for others well to be honest I'm not entirely sure yet, something seems a bit off with at least Sakura though and uh if those two are that much different who knows what else is different from the rest. I wish I could say exactly but there hasn't been much time to meet them and by the time we get back they might have gotten Servant's of their own so it might be too dangerous.'

'I see... You still haven't told me what happened to me in this universe at the end...'

'Hmm, well it's not like I'm trying to hide it from you but do you really want to know? I think it would be a little disappointing to know how my story would end, kinda like a book being spoiled but that's just me.'

'Tell me.'

'Well if you insist, but uh I don't really think it's that simple. You see, well there are a couple universes not just one that I've seen you and the rest of this world in, pretty much like a book or uh something like that. And well at least from what I can tell uh well you don't exactly make it out of there alive.'

'I die?'

'Well yes, that's basically it, well I can at least say with great certainty that it doesn't always happen. I've seen a few universes where you make it out a live but there is one thing I've always noticed regardless of what happens in the end.'

'And what's that?'

'Well, uh regardless of whether or not you are killed you always seem to have some sort of understanding, almost like you've finally realized why you existed all along and made peace with yourself in one way or another. I can't really be sure if that's what really happens but that's just my interpretation of it I suppose. I was only just watching the story from afar after all, I've never really been inside a person like this before. I guess you could say that now that I've found my way inside your head I'd like to try and help you out in my own way if possible. I've said it before but a good amount of people don't really seem to care about how you or a few certain others end up in stories but I've always been at least a bit interested. And if possible I would like to see just how this story concludes one way or another... For better or for worse I suppose.'

'I see...'

'Sorry, I didn't mean to make things seem so serious, as strange as that sounds I've uh never really been good at lightening a mood.'

'Do not worry about it.'

'Oh uh, ok then I think we should be arriving shortly to the location, do you still remember what we are searching for?'

'A relic of some sort, some kinda of ancient history that could possible relate to someone who once lived in this land thousands of years ago.'

'Yep that sounds about right, well I don't really know how well this will go after all, that's why I made sure we got that book first just in case things don't go according to plan, we'll search for as long as we can today and then if things don't go well we'll use that, but if possible I'd like to use something with a possible stronger relation, I think it makes the connection stronger or something like that as much as I think I know there are things I still can't exactly figure out.'

'Very well then.'

[Rin-chan Kaihou]

January 16th, 2007
11:50 PM
Ilyasviel's Mindscape


"Are you sure this is a good idea?"

I'm not sure how long my explanation lasted, but it felt like hours. For one thing, I have huge fragments of my TypeMoon knowledge missing from my memory banks. I know that the information should be there but I don't recall what they were supposed to be about.

The fact that Ilya was most definitely not a loli this time round cast a lot of doubt towards my supposed knowledge of past and future events. Then, she threw a tantrum over my retelling of what I think happened between Kiritsugu, Irisviel, the Grail and Shirou.

The red-eyed glares were a bit daunting and I wasn't sure if this Ilya had her Mystic Eyes and was using it on me or if I was just frozen in sheer terror of what she might do to me. For all I know, it could be both.

After what seemed like an eternity, in which I learned that non-mindscape Ilya was eating mapo tofu like there's no tomorrow while mindscape her was busy interrogating me, we found ourselves deciding on a course of action. Blank spots in my TypeMoon knowledge aside, it seems that my opinion of Ilya being a wolf in cute-girl clothing wasn't far off the mark.

"This could go wrong in so many ways..."

The pervy-old-man giggles coming from the predator in front of me did nothing to help my already frayed nerves.

"Fufufu~"

Why, oh why, couldn't I be put in the mindscape of someone sane. Like, Issei? Or Sella? Heck, I think I'd take the hulking mass of gray muscle that was Ilya's Servant rather than Ilya herself.

[Usandru]

Mountaintop Graveyard
Kyoto, Japan
January 16, 2007

"...Fuyuki?" the young necromantress in training whispered, swallowing as visions of fire came to her mind. Yes...yes, she remembered it. The city of a thousand sins. The place where the Witch rose, using the Beast of Chaos as her weapon, where the darkness threatened to consume all life, until the sacrifice of a life had sealed it. That ritual of wishes, power granted for a price. The contest in which her sister had vanished, holding back the power of the Witch with will alone as others fought the Beast.

...the trial from which Akemi Homura had not returned.

And now her best friend wanted to go, seeing the same thing. She'd suspected Seo Akira was not quite normal for a long time, but only now did she understand why she had become so close to her. Because she had the gift of foresight, and acted very much like....

'...Homura-nee-chan....'

...she was going to go, and leave Akemi Yamase all alone.

Her grip tightened on her tome - the aptly titled Book of the Dead, with a cover she suspected was human skin but had not asked about. There was indeed a section on the power of names and divination, one that would useful to her, as she did command lesser spirits, and now had a bound familiar she could use...

"Akira-chan...."

She almost seemed to shrink in on herself before plucking up the confidence to reply.

"Ok, let's go home."

The pair returns to their home after a while. Akemi cradling her cat and Akira absently massaging her eyes and shoulders.

Akira fumbles with the lock for a bit, and then they're inside. Akira's own cat coming out to greet them, sitting in the entranceway as though welcoming them home. It looks up at Akemi's prize once and dismisses it silently.

After a little bit, Akira has her shoes off and goes over to pick up her darling pet, nuzzling it a little and whispering in its ear. The quartet then retire to the livingroom.

It's quiet for a little while as Akira sets water to boil and prepares a pot. Akemi sits, a little dazed, a little scared. There's no music in the small apartment right now. No sounds from the neighbours. Only the faraway noise of lone cars travelling the late night streets.

Akira puts down the pot and two cups. She sits across from Akemi and smiles a weak smile while her cat nestles on her lap.

"Where to begin..." She muses as she pours.

"I... my basic talent is precognition. It's... usually it's not really a big deal. It's based on perception, on my ability to gather information. I have a... a channel, in my eyes, something like a transmitter and receiver. Part of my brain is dedicated to sorting through what I perceive, and then extrapolating into the future. It is very good at it. I almost always get it right. But it's a prediction, not a prophecy, and it is based on what I perceive. Usually, my life just isn't exciting enough for it to be important." She says, before sipping a little from her cup, focus drifting.

"I know some people call it ESP, this kind of ability. It's useful enough shorthand. I have quibbles but... well, it isn't too important. The important thing is that it is something in comparison to Magecraft, a different kind of thing. My ability is innate, and aside from meaning I tend to live through chunks of my life twice, it doesn't hurt me."

"Magecraft is different. It's like... my ability is exploiting a design flaw in the world, but is technically legal. Like, a rules loophole in the official rules. It's not supposed to be possible, but it doesn't really matter that it is. Magecraft is attempting to cheat."

"Magecraft always costs something. If you're lucky, it just costs you discomfort, maybe a little pain, as you activate the channels in your soul for magical power. Just a little time, effort and pain. You're gathering up something, despite it being unpleasant, to force through something that seems like a miracle. I know some Magecraft. What you've been learning is Magecraft. What is happening in Fuyuki... well, it's based on Magecraft. It's about Magic, about a Miracle. A real one. I think, probably, it has something to do with making the Soul immortal."

"The problem is that it isn't just about that. Miracles are hard. They're so hard that to achieve one, you have to do the almost impossible to just get there. And everyone wants a slice of the pie."

"The thing in Fuyuki... it's a ritual, called the Holy Grail War. It is a battle royale for seven participants who each summon the spirit of a long dead hero to compete for the right to achieve the miracle. And in the course of their battle..." Akira grimaces.

"Things get bad. And my vision... things might get really bad. Incredibly bad. Something needs to be done. It needs to be done quickly. I know people, but they're far away, and I don't have reliable contact with them. And I don't have any proof aside from my claim of being a precognitive. So we can't rely on them. Not yet."

"I want to claim one of the spirits. If I manage that, I deny someone else that slot. And I might be able to handle keeping the fighting contained, until I can get reinforcements in. However I need to find something that belonged to them first. With your book... well, I figured something of their remains would be good enough."

"So I have an idea, but I need your help to narrow down one of two locations. I need you to find me the relevant divination rituals. As quickly as possible. Meanwhile, I'm going to prepare something else. Okay?"

As Akemi nods hesitantly, Akira picks up her cat and carries it with her as she looks around the house for the few things she needs for her trick. She nuzzles the cat and whispers to it while she walks, until she spots an old shogi set which will make do.

Armed with a pile of shogi tiles, a map of the Kansai region, and a small knife, she returns to Akemi, and begins the slow and painstaking work of carving out symbols in each of the little tiles exactly.

As she carves, she keeps a part of her mind focused on another problem. Specifically, how to best phrase a divination, and how to potentially use unique elements of the map to triangulate likely locations.

It is largely just a question of logic and wording after all. And she is very good at both of those.

[Soldat der Trauer]

Matou Shinji – Mindscape (???)
January 16, 2007

I had a dream.
Left, right, forward. Below, above, backward.
The sea flowed around me.
I didn't know if I was rising or falling.
I was only aware, as I am now, that this sea could be my playground.


~ ~ ~

(???)


The dull roar of the ocean was near constant, but nowhere near as overpowering in presence as the fountain.


A massive edifice of some gleaming black material, that edged and curved into what the boy standing beyond its base could only construe as some alien fountain whose form edged closer to the non-Euclidean side of “things man was never meant to tamper with”. Whoops.


It could have been hewed of stone, it could have been shaped from metal, but the texture, the sort of hard-to-describe glossiness... The boy who bore witness could only connect the image to memories of lacquered chopsticks. The Lacquered Fountain... Eh, there were more pretentious names, he supposed, and really, the sooner he got his bearings, the better. But easier said than done.


It's form was massive, stabbing up into the dark sky like an Indian knife, central spire flanked by two broad and curved prongs. Structures at the middle and top spun indiscernible, alien orbits, guided by mechanisms that the eyes alone could not make sense of. It was nonsensical, and yet the fountain still churned like some ebony machine. From the bottom basin some feet off the ground, a substance like molten gold overflowed in a lazy but constant surge, flowing as if water rather than pooling at the base.


The floor is made of that gold. Where it seeps from the fountain, it's like syrup; farther away, the material has apparently “dried” and been imperceptibly crushed into flakes and grains the consistency of dry sand. The color gives the game away, but the product of the fountain is not the only strange things here in this place. The ocean's water – if water it be – is the color of oil, nearly pitch in the darkness that does not ebb from celestial lights; there is no moon on the horizon to make the tide glimmer as oil would, but when the liquid comes onto the surf, a curious phenomenon occurs.


In defiance of gravity, droplets of the golden sand and the black water become suspended, impacts of one with its opposite number causing a helical construct where shapes, colors, textures – it all swaps across. These helices float upwards, drawing stranger shapes still conjoined or now separate and splattered in arcs and droplets. Looking closer, one can observe the black gently gravitating towards the form of the fountain, whereas the motes of gold drift off into the darkness, making the air itself ripple with its passing – its disappearance.


The shore stretches quite a distance, but the boy knows in his bones there's a finiteness to its scope. He can't see the sky; despite the clear night, there's no visible markers set in the backdrop like stars. The air itself is heavy, somewhat humid, but all in an odd way that itches at his brain the way the metallic tang sifts through the unfamiliar breeze. It's all...cloistering, he decides, and yet...


»“Familiar nonetheless.”«



The voice brings yet another mental correlation with water; it reverberates in a way that a human sound simply can't on its own. From the mid-section of the fountain, etchings reveal themselves as grates like the carved panels of antique wooden lanterns, and both black and gold swirl or expand into filaments and spirals, weird geometries that are all centered around a lump of the moist golden metal made even more unusual by its stillness. Slowly – yet paradoxically all too quickly – the lump contorts and stretches like drapes in the wind, not breaking apart even as it covers a span of distance that shouldn't be possible, forming a standing figure who is all varnished gold, features indistinguishable even when all but set in the silhouette of a hooded being.


»“Your mind has been disconnected, neither by my doing nor yours. This apparatus,” the figure barely inclines its head backwards towards the fountain, “preserves the boundaries of your mind, your soul. You are no longer yourself, but neither are you the one to whom this sea belongs. Having sunk into its depths, your mind fashioned an anchor to preserve itself. And here we are. Do you comprehend?”«



The boy absorbed the statue's words, and really, what else could he do? There was a discrepancy in his recollections from the before to the now. He could not proceed without more information. His lack of reaction to the unbelievability that was the hooded statue – no, to the entire situation – was not unnoticed by himself either, and the realization discouraged him as if the idea had only just taken root.


“Tell me everything, please.”

-//-//-

The Holy Grail War. The boy is trapped in a world where that travesty is real, trapped under an ocean that is really the ego of another human being's own existence, protected from being crushed by its weight only through a magic fountain whose substances extends and cements its domain.


He is an Intruder, encroaching on another's very self. Thankfully, getting caught up to speed gave him the chance to work out the bulk of his onset of nerves, leaving him tingling with the aftermath of vaguely ticklish shivers reaching down to his fingertips.


From the “windows” made of the same nebulous liquid metal, provided by the Statue, the boy sees the scene in the world on the other side, the “real” one where his Encroached host sits chatting with a pretty, grey-haired girl.


-------He's trapped inside Matou Shinji.


He should be disgusted, but his crash course in the what the fountain is, what it represents, has also given him the chance to sift through the other teen's memories, the flow and course of his life. So much is different, and while that should be a cold comfort under even the best of circumstances, so much is still the same.


»“Will you not attempt to wade deeper into young Matou's currents?”«



The statue is exactly like the spectre its form impersonates, ominous without meaning to be. Its question's intent is clear enough to the Intruder.


“No, not yet. It's his body, Shinji can retain control. If I'm here, how do we know there aren't others? I interfere, and in the worst case his peer might notice because she'll have an Intruder in her subconscious too. I hate surprises like that.”

The boy paces back and forth, shaking his head before the statue's construct, a tint forming over the window lens that seems to act like a see-through mirror.


“We --sorry, old habit-- I need more information. And I'm not ready yet, he's not ready. And rather his and mine first real conversation happen in private, without distractions. Besides, I'm not done going through his life history; I have no clue how he'd act, if he could consciously realize that something's influencing him. He's lived with Zouken, that didn't change; no telling what he picked up.


“And... And I have an idea for later. Something to make him convinced enough to listen. That said, could you let me access his sensations, though? What it's like to be him?”


The boy's only other guest in this place inclines its head, steely mirror-like “face” as impassive as ever.


»“As you choose.”«

[EnigmaticFellow]

Panda Compound, Zoo
January 16, 2007 11:11 PM

Chomp, chomp, chomp. There's not a lot to say really. Perhaps that is wrong to say, but this moment doesn't really allow for much reflecting. It has been torturous to wait for so long. This red nectar is all too intoxicating right now no matter how unsatisfying the source is. Still, more drastic measures might have to be taken. This really can't go on forever less we lose our minds.

Rather strange, really. My memory just isn't what it's used to be anymore. There's certainly gaps in them. It's as if my soul didn't completely come here intact. Not as if I can diagnose why that is the case; however, there is only so much to recall.

Something sits ill with me, and I think I have an idea of what that may be.

[Dark Pulse]

Dampness. Dankness.

The assault on my senses was absolute.

I couldn't see anything, as my eyes fought to adjust, to bring some clarity. But I could still smell, feel, taste, and hear.

I could feel the cold, clammy ground, poking painfully into my back. I quickly get up from the floor, gaining footing on uneven ground, rubbing my back where something – who knows what – had been pressing into it.

At about the same time, my nose begins to burn. The air is thick with a vapor, and I cough. Whatever this is, it is not pure oxygen. It's not even good oxygen. It burns a little through my nose every time I take a breath in, and I resort to breathing through my mouth in an effort to try to save it.

In the distance... somewhere, I hear what sounds like faint yelling. It's clearly a girl's voice, although I can't make out what is being said – it's got so much echo and is so faint that part of my brain wonders how the other part is even noticing it in the first place.

The feel of this... it's cold and dark. My eyes are just starting to focus, and the ground looks like it's covered in filth. There seems to be only one way to go, but the bigger question is how to get there without killing myself.

With unsteady steps, I begin my journey onward. Deeper. Darker.

---

As I move on, I begin to notice a few things.

Like the fact that a good chunk of the path seems like it has rocky croppings arranged almost as if it were a punji pit, just waiting for me to lose my footing and impale myself on them.

And that to the sides are what seem to be large, deep pools of... something. I don't know what, but it can't be water. My nose would not be burning like it is if it were water, and I'd know if it were something like sulfur by the smell. This has no smell... it just burns.

As I turn away from the pool, a hideous monstrosity – an absolutely grotesque... THING appears before me.

I size it up, as every single hair on my body, even hairs that I didn't know I had, stood up straight on end. There is only one word that could accurately describe it... “Run.”

Two mouths open, and sound comes from neither.

Immediately, I begin stepping back. Run, run from this thing!

At least, that's what my brain is saying, before it realizes I've lost my footing and am falling, screaming all the way down.

Panic over where I am about to land is nullified within a few seconds by me falling into a pool of warm liquid. Some of it slips into my mouth before I manage to stifle my throat, and soon enough I realize what this liquid is.

It tastes exactly like – and smells exactly like – isopropyl alcohol.

I manage to bob myself above the liquid, and cough out what has entered, swallowing heavily afterward. Looking around, the only way up is by a steep wall that would get me back up to the path. I manage to get myself over with difficulty, and find myself wishing I'd taken swimming lessons, before I get over and begin climbing up.

Only to lose my footing and have my whole front scrape against the wall as I, quite literally, take a dip in the drink again.

This time, things sting, really, really badly, too. It gets me out of the alcohol bath twice as quickly, but it also means that by the time I pull myself out and get a look at myself, I see that I've gained several new cuts, which have bubbled up a bit at the edges due to oxidation from the alcohol. With even uneasier footing, I begin my walk again.

---

...She's yelling. In the distance, I can hear her yelling. It's clearly timed to some kind of attacks, because there's often a slight rumbling afterward.

After walking for what seemed like forever, my weary body enters a small cave. If anything, the rocks on the ceiling look like they want to fall and impale me, too. It'd be fine, in a way. The hurting would stop at least.

But in the distance, I glimpse her. Looking like she's at the end of her rope, her normally elegant form looks exhausted, but fueled by adrenaline – like her body would be pleading with her to just stop and rest, if it weren't for some purpose beyond what she's pushing herself to do.

My own body, not having that sort of fuel, just finds something to lean my back against, and half-slides, half-slumps down to a sitting position, as I watch, everything slightly hazy and tinged with halos.

She moves like living itself depended on her moving. Fires like every shot is meant to kill. Occasionally I hear what can only be called an animalistic, guttural cry of fury come from deep in her throat. The shots get a little larger, the explosion a little more powerful, as each and every figure that looks kind of like one Emiya Shirou gets blasted into dust.

...But it's also not the Shirou I know, I realize. Nor... is this the Rin I know. The Rin I knew had feelings for Shirou. This one... wants to kill him?

What the hell is going on? This isn't how it's supposed to–

“You won't kill me. You hear that, Emiya?! You won't kill me!” Another effigy crumbles – or more accurately, vaporizes, as a shot that was easily the size of a head blasts it to bits.

...This isn't right. They're supposed to be allies, not enemies. But as my brain is starting to process that, my lips and voice work as if they were entirely on their own separate consciousness.

“...He's not supposed to,” it says.

Immediately the girl whirls around in my direction. Her eyes, full of a fire that refuses to be put out, seem to glow in this darkness, pinpoints of light in a sea of choking black.

They immediately begin sizing up her next enemy, and thinking of a way to kill him.

[alfheimwanderer]

OOC: Unless I get a reply with interest in claiming the character, Shirou is becoming a NPC. You have 24 hours.

---

Bazett Fraga McRemitz
Date - January 16, 2007 AD
Time - 16:48
Location - Ireland, Near Courtown, Forest

With the completion of the ritual chant and the sacrifice of blood, the ritual was complete. The rift between worlds opened for the briefest of moments. A second - no, only a fraction of that - only, but it was enough for something to pass through. A copy of a greater soul within the Throne of Heroes, one of the Spirits elevated nearly to the ranks of the divine by legend. They did not often come for a mere mortal's calling, and could refuse - but this one did not.

...Cú Chulainn had always had a weakness for women, after all, and Bazett might even be said to be a distant, distant relation.

In the ancient shack wrapped around the great tree, light blossomed, and in the midst of that, a figure took form.

Ireland's Child of Light. The Hound of Ulster.

Cu Chulainn.



A rugged hunter of the wilderness, he wore a mix of metal boots and gauntlets, and leather for mobility. In his hands, he bore a green wooden spear, which he toyed with as he looked towards the one who had summoned him with a rogue, almost cocky smile. There was something untamed, feral, dangeroe about him as he breathed in the Old Magic of Ireland, the land where he was born and died.

"Huh. I'd almost forgotten what it was like to breathe..." he said to himself, almost absently before focusing on the redhead who had created the circle. "Yo. I take it you're the one that summoned me?"

---

Panda Compound, Zoo
January 17, 2007 12:00 PM

Yumizuka Satsuki looked down at the mangled remains of the pandas she had slaughtered for her evening meal. While certainly meaty, it had been...unsatisfying was really the only word for it. Even after filling her stomach, there was something missing. Something that would fill her, make her complete.

---blood.

Not animal blood, but --- blood.

She almost couldn't help it - whenever she saw someone young and supple, she wanted to drag the person into a back alley and just drain him or her dry. Youthful (virginal, something seemed to whisper), rich blood...she craved it. These animals, the stories she read, all of these could only sate her so long, and so she kept going from city to city. If she stopped, she'd feel attached and whatever she felt attached to, she wanted to kill.

...was this what Tohno-kun had thought about everyone around him?

She imagined it must be.

She...

what what was that?

"H-hello? Is someone there?"

---

January 16th, 2007
2:00 AM
Einzbern Castle, Outside Fuyuki

Illya had listened with interest to this odd interloper, who she thought was a little too amusing to kill. While she could squash him like a bug, there was really no point - but then, she really couldn't have him in her head, mentioning people who were long dead - or should be. She could not allow anything to interfere with her perfection.

Then again, he could still prove useful, so she'd simply moved this Rin into a living doll.




An autonomous mobile unit powered by her prana, armed with small knives and equipped with a self-destruct device. It would mostly sit on her shoulder for now, but could move at will.

Fufu, people do seem to be terrified of dolls these days.

Sure, he'd seemed to be uncomfortable and screamed a bit, but he was alive, right? Uhuhuhu...

"Do you fancy your body, Rin-chan?" the homunculus asked with a perhaps-evil smile.

'And soon there will be another Rin along with this one, adding to my collection.'

[EnigmaticFellow]

Panda Compound, Zoo
January 17, 2007 12:00 AM

"H-hello? Is someone there?"

Strange. It's not as if I was really doing anything to bring attention to myself. Observation has pretty much been all that I have been doing thus far. No attempt at communication yet. Might as well start that, then.

"It seems that you yearn for something. Perhaps you can help me out?"

"You have been selected as a possible participant for the Holy Grail War, a war in which seven participants summons figures from ages past in order to partake in a seven-way conflict. Whoever wins gains access to an artifact not unlike the Holy Grail mentioned in legends. While corrupted by a potent curse due to the error of a previous participant, a vampire should be able to use it unmolested."

"As a wayward spirit who requires a host to even maintain existence, I desire that artifact in order to reincarnate myself back into a corporeal existence. In exchange, I will help you out. I can tell that your knowledge of the world that you are now a part of is lacking to say the least. That can be remedied by me. Understand that due to your nature as a vampire, you will be hunted by members of the Holy Church. In fact, one of their most potent members happens to be a former classmate of yours. As things stand, you will meet destruction if you do not act."

"While the Holy Grail War may be mediated by the Holy Church, its representative is an aging man past his prime. A far cry from that potent member I previously mentioned."

[alfheimwanderer]

Somewhere in Georgia

Kuzuki Souchirou didn't know exactly where he was going - not that this was unusual for this stage in his life. He hadn't really known whee he was going since he decided to leave the Organization. What he was running from, yes, he knew that, but going - well, that would imply he wanted to go somewhere, and wanting something was almost - almost - foreign to him. Granted, he'd managed to live when he should have died because a sliver of will he'd had remaining, but the rest was a void.

Still, there were good things about a void. One could fill it with whatever one wished, after all..

The problem was finding something to wish for in the first place.

Thus, he'd let his passenger suggest some motivations for him, leading him to acquire certain artifacts with most of the pay he'd saved up. As he'd mentioned when the other suggested it, almost cringing, he wasn't using it for anything right now. One of these artifacts was pulsing against his leg, throbbing in time with an ancient heart-rate.

It had been enchanted with a scrying spell by a notable puppetmaster who herself often searched for ancient relics - she'd carved a rune on it, so that it would heat in proximity to a relic of the ancient days - and it was doing so now as he drew closer to the village of Nokalakevi, near the remains of the once capital of the ancient kingdom of Colchis. The town was half enclosed by a loop of the river, on top of which stood the imposing ruins of an ancient fortress. Long walls ran down to the river, enclosing a bit of the surrounding plain - within which were an ancient church, palace, and foundations of a number of other buildings - all of which had unfortunately suffered some damage when the area was occupied in 1995 by rebel forces.

It was here. Somewhere...

"I believe we are here. Now where to begin."

---

Caster and Issei
Outskirts of the Aokigahara Forest
Past midnight, June 17th, 2007

Personally, KaleidoRuby Mirage was becoming a little confused as to how he'd gotten here. One moment, he'd been in a pitched battle against the Master of Wyrms and his Dark Mistress, the Blossom of Shadows, with his Eclipse Princess by his side - and now he'd ended up here, in a world without immediate conflict, speeding towards Mount Fuji. He had memories of this place, where the ancient Tome titled "The Summary to Judgments of Divinations" was sealed in his dimension, written by none other a personage than Abe no Seimei himself, the half demon.

Through his bonds with the mirage dragon, who had slumbered for an age, he could sense the powerful magecraft at work here, surrounding the forest. He didn't know if it was exactly what he was searching for, but it felt similar - it felt much like home. Mentally, he figured that the "friend", the other voice prompting him to go summon an ally, was probably on his side, but he didn't know for sure. Hence he needed to analyze the field more closely

"Shift. Mirage Channeller Mode."

The staff in his hand lengthened as the wings receded, and he found himself perceiving a faint glow all about - the glow of prana, and the silver lines that denoted an active field at work. While not as fast or as physically formidable as the Mirage Emperor mode, this mode allowed him to control all the prana in a radius around him, with his body acting as a circuit - it was really a marvelous thing, which he had acquired after bonding with the Kaleidostick, his symbol of contract.

"To confirm, you wish to use the forest to summon an entity?"

[Caster]

Caster and Issei
Outskirts of the Aokigahara Forest
Past midnight, June 17th, 2007

I shook my head. This wasn't right. Although the forest definitely was as I expected, I could tell by what KaleidoRuby had picked up that things were not as easy as I'd hoped they'd be. There was definitely more magic mixed up in here than just that of Abe. I sighed, knowing that this was going to be a bit of a pain. "Alright, what I'm going to ask is going to be a bit of a pain, but I know that a great hero like you can do it." At least I hoped he could, but it was definitely something that was a bit of an odd request. "The forest is made up of multiple prana signatures. Normally, if we summoned, we'd run the risk of us summoning any of the prana signatures. However, you are KaleidoRuby, a master of the magical arts. You also have the knowledge of many dimensions at your disposal. And we're standing on a leyline. Not just any leyline, but Mt. Fuji intersects with many, many leylines, fonts of magical energy where things can enter it... or leave it. What I want you to do, is to identify the signature that is Abe no Seimei. Once you do that, I want you to siphon out the magical energies that are not Abe no Seimei from this, using the leyline to draw them out. It might take a bit, but focus on the biggest energy signatures that aren't Abe first. If you do that, we might be able to summon using the forest when the majority of the energy is Abe anyways."

It seemed like a longshot, but it should be enough. Magical energy still worked as a solid catalyst. And once the murderous energies are removed, then it should be possible to look for the book if we couldn't summon Abe using the forest. It confirmed something I had suspected when I'd learned that this was the location of the book. He was an interesting individual, but he had never struck me as being so... murderous. But if the forest contained so much magic, then it was likely tampered with to make the result it currently had. But with the magic removed, which should be easy in Mirage Channeler Mode, then it should be much less of a risk either way.

[Rin-chan Kaihou]

Einzbern Castle
January 17, 2007. 2:00 AM


I was not amused.

"I am not amused."

I admit that the body was pretty cool. I mean, it---, er, I was a loli, barely reaching Ilya's waist (considering that the Ilya I knew was a loli as well and not a bombshell of a woman, that was rather unnerving), my loli body was extremely light and as I experimentally stretched my small limbs, it felt like I really was stretching. Somehow, Ilya managed to replicate the human body's natural senses into an artificial body. What's more, I don't have my glasses but I could see clearly.

It was probably better than being a disembodied voice in the head of what was probably one of the most dangerous characters in FSN, but I will admit nothing.

After twirling my unnatural body (and ending up in a small heap of loli on the floor as I was getting used to my new self), I glared at Ilya who was staring at me the same way a cat sttares at a mouse.

"What?"

There was a glint in those demonic red eyes. I didn't like that glint.

"Let's play Rin-chan~"

I should refuse. It may not be the best idea, what with me being a helpless little girl in the face of this monster, but my dignity as a man wouldn't allow me to be the mere plaything of even a hot chick that this Ilya seems to have become.

Still, if this Ilya, despite not being in a child's body, was anything like her counter part. If she didn't have a real childhood, left behind by her parents to live on her own, manipulated, lied to and kept in solitude by the old Einzbern fogeys. If she was alone all her life, with only the old Einzbern idiots and their homunculi for company, if she never once had a real friend..

"Alright Ilya-chan!"

I tried to shape my face into a beaming smile. I'm not sure how well I did considering my inexperience in this body but Ilya laughed at the form my face took.

Yeah, being a girl's plaything might not be so bad after all.

[Milbunk]

Kuzuki Soichirou
Near Nokalakevi

"So we are here."

"We certainly are... But where to begin? Those big stone walls seem like they would hold highest chances of success what about starting there?"

"Very well then."

"Oh and don't forget that shovel, I doubt that any relics would be that easily located."

"Of course."

Safely parking the car by the side of the road Kuzuki retrieved the single shovel and made his way onto an old dirt road. From there he carefully treaded along up the hill and around the currently quiet village.

Though it would not be much of an issue if people were to notice they had decided at least for the moment, that it was best they kept to themselves.

Just as he was about to reach the top of the fortress however, Kuzuki stopped.

"Is something wrong?"

"The band around my leg has gotten colder."

"Colder? Are you certain?"

"Yes, the artifact that we are searching for is not here."

"But then where is it? Should we try going back or going somewhere new?"

"The river, I think it was located near the river."

"If you think that's where it is, then I'll believe you. Should we go over there then?"

"Yes. Let us try that."

Changing course once more, Kuzuki made for the bed near the river. As he approached the rocky bed that surrounded the river on both sames came into view.

The river itself was nothing out of the ordinary, the almost calming sound of rushing water filled the ears as Kuzuki stepped foot onto the wet rocks and sand.

"I'm sure I don't need to tell you, but watch your footing I'm sure those rocks look very slippery."

"Of course."

He continued to make his way through the rocky bed, using the utmost of caution to watch his footing. He began to head upstream of the river only to change course and then head downstream.

"This way?"

"I believe so."

He made his way right next to the water only to yet again change course and head closer to land.

"It should be near here."

"Be careful, if this place is anything like I remembered it was once a land of great magic anything could happen."

"Do not worry."

Taking the shovel Kuzuki then began to dig in between the stones. Even with the rocks and sand softened with the constant beating of water it was by no means an easy task even for Kuzuki.

10 minutes passed the a noticeable hole had begun to form around the spot Kuzki dug, the water filling up whenever a stone or any sand was removed. Then another 10 minutes and eventually an entire hour had gone by. The sun was noticeably higher in the sky and his brow was covered in sweat as he continued to dig.

His feet and ankles were soaked with water but yet Kuzuki continued to dig and dig some more.

"Are you sure this is the spot? Do you think you should take a break?"

"I am fine, do not worry about me."

"Oh, ok then."

His determination was as strong as he was emotionless. Another half an hour had passed and still he continued to dig the extra stones that he had been throwing in the river were now beginning to make a noticeable pile through the rushing water.

But then he hit it, through the glistening water a tiny purple shape calmly glowed deep inside the makeshift hole.

"Is that it? Did we actually find it!?"

"It appears so."

Very carefully Kuzuki put the shovel one last time into the water pushing aside more rocks and sand until eventually the entire shape was loosened from it's position below.

"Is that what I think it is? Careful it might be sharp."

Setting the shovel aside on the rocks Kuzuki put his hand deep into the water until only his head was above.

"Wait... Stop!"

"What is it?"

"That thing might be cursed. Don't touch it with your hands, use a cloth instead."

"Very well then."

Confused if only for a moment Kuzuki ripped a piece of cloth from the plain white shirt he currently wore. Using the cloth he once again reached for the purple gleam deep beneath the water and pulled it out.



However the time to observe it was short lived, moments after the object was taken from it's sunken grave a horrendous roar echoed from the land next to him.

From its earthen grave a bony hand reached forth from the ground. Pulling itself up from the dirt below it was quickly followed by a second, third, and even forth as the creatures began pulling themselves up completely.

"Be careful Kuzuki, if those are what I think they are I don't think you should take them all on at once."

However before such a comment was even made his body had already taken a stance, even on the water soaked rocks he stood with ease, his formation was perfect.

The four creatures had begun making their way towards Kuzuki's position making horrid crackling noises as they went. They each held with them a long bony appendage almost shaped like a sword.

"Wait, Kuzuki I have an idea. If you can make contact with those bone golems with that purplish object perhaps it could destroy them? It's only a hunch though, and whatever you do don't touch it directly."

Calmly he waited for the creatures to come to him, even as they dragged their feet they easily made their way across the rocks until the first of the four had finally reached him.

With it's bony appendage it quickly made a full on attack with the bone blade. But Kuzuki was ready.

Just as carefully as ever, he easily took hold of the blade right out of the air causing the creature to freeze its momentum. With his other hand he stuck the purple material to the chest of the bone soldier. Almost instantaneously the golem collapse the breath of life it had just been given almost as easily taken away from it.

"So it is..."

However the other three would not wait, as if in sync the other three attacked from three different directions, their bones cackling as if they were mocking the the man.

But Kuzuki was by no means an amateur, with great skill he fell to the rocky ground below sweeping his legs and knocking them off balance while also going below the swipes of their swords.

He merely touched the leg of one of the creatures and it too fell lifeless to the rocks, and before the other two could react he had done the same to them.

Finally with all of the creatures now lifeless on the rocks Kuzuki was able to take a breath. The catalyst still safe in his hand and protected from contact by a small piece of cloth he made his way off the rocky beach.

"What were those?"

"Those were... Those were earth golems, forged from the magi in colchis long ago they were often used in trials of strength as well as disposable troops in combat. I've seen them before, but never this closely... That was amazing!"

"I was simply doing what I was taught."

"But even still... You manage to defeat them all so easily with so many things going against you... Ahem, anyways it seems we have finally managed to collect what we have come here for.



Once more we took a look at the strange purplish metal that softly glowed. It gave a strange aura as if it was almost cursed in some way.

"I'm fairly certain that that object you hold in your hand is from an ancient dagger. It was cursed with the ability to dispel any magic and with it a magus could cause havoc in the Holy Grail War. Though it seems we only have a shard of the original thing."

"Will that be an issue?"

"No.. No I don't think it will, with this I think we have our catalyst for the war. And with it I hope you can find your future. But wait why not take some of those bones from the creatu..."

However before the thought could finish the bones had already disintegrated into the wind as if they were never there.

"I see... I suppose some things weren't meant for this world."

"What do you mean?"

"I think those were remnants of a long lost age, an age of Gods as they called it. That age has long passed but even still it looks like a few relics here and there have lasted until now. Once released though they most often quickly disperse. However, with what we are about to do I hope that we can prevent such a dispersion."

"Oh?"

************************************************** ****

Inside the rocky ruins Kuzuki made his war towards the center of the long ruined castle. Though it had long been destroyed from wars and the elements themselves a few remnants of a once great civilization stood towering amongst the grassy fields of the Georgian country.

"Ok, now this will be the tricky part. You see, I've never actually made one of these magical circles before, but it's the only way to actually summon a Servant. However we have to use some sort of magical uh conduit to uh do something in order to uh make the circle activate."

"Do what?"

"Sorry, I'm afraid I don't really understand the technical side of this, but what I do know is that you need blood or some sort of magical metal in order to shape the circle, I think."

"And you are sure this will work?"

"So long as we have beaten any other candidates to the punch it should... I hope so anyways, I've never really seen this kind of thing backfire before."

"Very well then."

Obtaining a few chicken from a local market was easy enough, especially in such a rural country as this. Using a sharp knife, Kuzuki easily sliced the heads of the poor creatures one by one.

"Oh I'm terrible with blood, absolutely terrible. Please let me know when this is done I can't stand to look."

"It is done."

"Oh uh that was fast, you collected as much as you could into the containers."

"Yes."

"Oh uh ok, then let's see now we need to create the actual circle, uh let's see I think I can send you a picture of what it looks like if I focus really really hard."



"Sorry I can't really remember all that well, but I think it looked a lot like that."

"I will do what I can with this, however I have never really drawn much before."

Even though he said that, the way Kuzuki mechanically moved with his heavy brush on the cobblestone floor was impressive. Perhaps his mastery of combat was so advanced that even some as complex as art was within his reach.

Regardless after a good ten minutes of carefully drawing and painting the vague circle figure onto the floor the work was done.

"Ok that's done let's see, first put that artifact we found in the center."

"Alright."

"Ok, uh then is that device we received still working?"

"It seems to be, it is still beating as it has always been since the moment I put it on."

"Alright, alright. Then I suppose we could start with the chant. But first I'd like to ask one last time, are you sure you want to go through with this? Once you complete it there's really on turning back. Is that alright with you?"

"As I have said before, I have nothing better to do."

"Heh, I guess not, very well then when you are ready read that chant I had you record earlier, it's the chant that all Master must use."

"Alright, Set Let thy body rest under my dominion, let my fate rest in thy blade, If thou submitteth to the call of the Holy Grail, and if thou wilt obey this mind, this reason, then thou shalt respond, I make my oath here, I am that person who is to become the virtue of all Heaven, I am that person who is covered with the evil of all Hades, Thou seven heavens, clad in a trinity of words, come past they restraining rings, and be thou the hands that protect the balance...”

"Uh You didn't have to say it so quickly and in such a monotone way."

However, whatever other thoughts the soul had were quickly drowned out by the bright flash of light that began to shine forth.

[alfheimwanderer]

Somewhere in Georgia

Light flared. The ancestral words of summoning were spoken. The connection was made, with the Grail helping open a conduit to the Throne of Heroes, where the catalyst used would identify a Servant to call - if that Servant were willing. But...as quickly as it had come forth, the light and wind faded away, as if somehow dispelled or interrupted.

Magecraft, after all, was a struggle of concepts - and any Noble Phantasms around a summoning could cause a powerful reaction. In this case, the catalyst that Souchirou Kuzuki had attempted to use was a fragment of the legendary dagger Rule Breaker, a manifestation of Medea's nature as the "Witch of Betrayal." In almost any other circumstance, such a closely linked artifact would all but guarantee the calling forth of a Heroic Spirit...

...but Rule Breaker was different.

Indeed, its unique ability was in acting as the ultimate anti-magic Noble Phantasm, a weapon capable of dispelling and destroying any kind of thaumaturgy, which "transgressed" on all other magecraft it encountered. True, it was not in its full state, but even damaged, its presence as the catalyst had brought the ritual to a halt, releasing only a pulse of prana into the surroundings.

In the remains of the circle, the artifact remained gleaming, as if to mock the so-called summoner.

The device he held warbled - it had not directly been affected, but risking a second attempt using Rule Breaker would not be wise.

---

Caster and Issei
Outskirts of the Aokigahara Forest
Past midnight, January 17th, 2007

Unfortunately, KaleidoRuby Mirage himself was not entirely familiar with Abe no Seimei's magecraft or the prana signature. He knew it was not entirely human of course, but identifying it - and then using the leyline to purify the mountain - that did not sound like a job for just one person. Well, perhaps if that person were his Mistress, then yes, for no matter how improbable, she could make it a reality - but that was not his power. He possessed several arcane abilities, thanks to his transformation abilities, drawing on the talents of other versions of himself to make himself powerful.

That was the meaning of the mirage. KaleidoRuby - like his ideals of justice - were illusions.

He smiled then, as he knew what he had to do.

He could simply focus on the magic that whispered of kitsune to him, as Abe no Seimei was himself part kitsune and thus tied to the power of illusion itself - he could feel it all around him, a mischievous, ancient, powerful magic that danced like the beams of the sun...

Isolate.

Quietly, the young mage began to sing, as prana danced to his tune, flows shifting as his lips shaped an ancient wordless melody. He moved as the flows, wove them into a shining tapestry, removing anything murderous, anything tainted by time, by the suggestion of harm.

Amplify.

He spun about, the flows visible in the sky like hundreds of spectral figures going to their rest somewhere beyond the firmament of heaven. Spirits of all those who had been trapped in the forest, lured in by a siren song of death and malevolence, whispers of the end - now were free, their souls flying away like fireflies taking flight for one final time.

Life, he thought, was beautiful, even if it was short, even if it too was almost an illusion compared to the duration of the spanless stars...

Call.

"I call to the earth, to the power sleeping in the mountain - may the power that rests here awaken to my side. I call for one to aid me - I call for one to join me - I call for a power that will shift the balance of the broken scales. I make my oath here - I who am illusion, who bring forth illusion, who lives in illusion - I who am possibility bright you forth, for I am thou... Thou art I..."

As he spoke, the Kaleidostaff drew a spherical design with the air, a thing of golden and silver traceries far beyond the ken of any living magus today, calling to the great one whose slumbered now to awaken!

Light flared...

Three cherry blossoms, engraved themselves onto the arm of the summoner, as power from below swirled together with power from above, combining in the sphere. Wind howled. The earth shook.

And then the sphere opened to reveal two presences...



Twin beauties who danced across the sky on golden threads and spectral wings, speaking as one in voices clear as the very air itself, glowing with inner light...

"We have come, oh summoner. We are Konohanasakuya, once goddess of life and lady of fire. We are sun-caller, spell-weaver, moongazer, empress. We are Caster. What do you wish of us, Master?"

[Milbunk]

Kuzuki Soichirou
Castle Ruins

"Nothing happened?"

"Nothing except a pulse of energy."

"Oh no, perhaps the strength of the catalyst was a bit too strong."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, Rule Breaker which is what we have a fragment of is a dagger that nullifies magic. And this magical circle is the just the kind of thing it could very well nullify. I had thought that by not directly setting it on the circle it would be safe enough but that does not appear to be the case. This isn't good..."

"Then what do we do now?"

As if to answer his call the very earth near their location began to rumble. Set loose by the small burst of magical energy it collapsed upon itself.

"Watch out!"

Kuzuki quickly jumped from his position just as the ground gave in where he once stood.

The implosion of ground lasted only a second, but when it had finished a huge crater appeared before them.

"What just happened!?"

"It appears our actions have loosened the ground around us."

When the dust finally settled the voice in Kuzuki's head was stunned.

"Is that... Is that a cave?"

"It appears to be so."

The ground itself had collapsed to reveal a brand new opening hidden deep below. Held together by stone and rocky hole had appeared below them.

"Do... Do you think we should check it out?"

"I see no reason not to. It appears that this catalyst will not be suitable enough for our goals, so a new one will be necessary. This could very well lead to such an artifact. Also, that device has begun to heat up again."

"I see... Well I suppose we'd best be prepared. Who knows what we'll find down there. Do you have that flashlight in the backpack?"

"Yes."

"Alright then, whenever you are ready."

Using the utmost of care, Kuzuki retrieved the shovel and a flashlight. After making sure it was in working order he set forth towards the slope of the crater where the eerie black entrance stood in front of them.

The entrance itself was small only barely large enough for a person such as himself to barely squeeze through. However once he entered the cave it very quickly opened up into a grand stone hallway.

"What is this place?"

"It is unclear."

Scanning the dusty stone walls, fragments of thick purple cloth decorated them remnants of a long dead civilization that had lived here.

The hall itself was by no means clear of debris. On the contrary as he carefully made his way forward piles of rubble could be seen collapse from thousands of years of neglect.

"Do you think this is a hidden piece of the old Colchis Castle?"

"It could be."

The hallway itself branched off a few times but those paths had long been buried under mounds of stone and dirt.

A few moments later something more interesting came into the light of the bright flashlight.



One of the decayed purple banners was just barely intact. With it a symbol of some sort.

"Do you know what it means?"

"It looks very familiar to me. I'm sorry but I can't quite place it."

"I see..."

"We should keep moving, I don't want to stay here any longer then we have to."

"Of course."

He continued his careful crawl through the grand stone hallways until finally he came face to face with a dim light somewhere ahead.

"What is that?"

"I do not know, but the device I wear has just gotten a lot warmer. I believe it might be what we are looking for."

"Oh, then let's check it out."

"Very well then."

Another few moments passed when finally they reached the opening. And came face to face with the source of the dim glow.

In a large empty room stood elaborately decorated lone altar. On the front of the altar a mass of complex symbols and pictures, far too complex for the average human to understand decorated it. The altar itself shined a brilliant yellow while surrounding the strange symbols were gorgeous gemstones, most of them shined a beautiful purple in contrast to the golden altar.

However, all of that paled in comparison to the tiny glowing pale shard that rested on top of it.

"What do you think it is?"

"It looks to be a bone of some sort."

"A bone?"

"Yes..."

Very carefully, Kuzuki edged forth and once more reached for it. However, even though he was using a cloth again he stopped inches from it.

"What's wrong?"

"It is strange, the very air that surrounds it is warm almost calming in a way that is hard to describe. What this thing once belonged to must have been powerful."

However, before a rebuttal could be given he steeled himself once more and grasped the tiny fragment of bone.

The entire cavern began to shake as if something that should not have been disturbed was awakened. From all around the room the terrible crackling of bones once more emerged forth from the ground. But the shaking was too much, great stones from the high roof of the room began to fall an the shaking only began to get worse.

"We need to get out of here!."

It didn't even need to be said, with all the speed he could muster, Kuzuki made a break for the entrance carefully shoving the small bone fragment in his pocket.

A few of the bone monsters stood in his way but he did not slow. Rather, using the momentum of his run he charged slamming his open fist into a weak point of the creatures causing it to collapse into itself. Another and another fell as he finally found his way to the great stone hallway.

But the shaking was getting even worse. Just as he made his way through a huge piece of the ceiling came collapsing down closing off the room once more.

But Kuzuki did not have time to turn around, with all his might he ran even as the place began to collapse all around him.

It did not take long for him to once more reach the entrance the light of day shining forth once more.

With one final push he threw his body outside the entire great stone cavern collapsing behind him. Completely out of breath he fell to the ground exhausted, but alive in the open air.

"We... we made it!?"

"Indeed."

"I can't believe we made it!"

"Indeed..."

A few minutes passed, enough time for him to catch his breath before once more carefully pulling the strange artifact out from his pocket and attempting to examine it in full.

Again upon examination it simply appeared to be the small fragment of a bone of some sort sharp on one end and dull on the other. However, upon closer inspection very tiny writing could be seen identical to the same writing that appeared on the altar.

"This could be it... Do you want to try again?"

"We might as well."

"Alright then... Let's get to work..."

The blood from the first circle had dried out from use and time. But luckily for them chickens tended to bleed quite a lot. Using what spare blood remained a new circle was once again formed.

Taking the defunct catalyst and putting it very very far away from the circle the new bone piece was set in place. It continued to glow the small dim glow as if it was emanating some sort of hidden energy from itself.

"Ok then, might as well not waste any time. Dusk will be falling soon and I'd rather not stay here any longer then we have to. Do you still remember the words?"

"Yes. Set Let thy body rest under my dominion, let my fate rest in thy blade, If thou submitteth to the call of the Holy Grail, and if thou wilt obey this mind, this reason, then thou shalt respond, I make my oath here, I am that person who is to become the virtue of all Heaven, I am that person who is covered with the evil of all Hades, Thou seven heavens, clad in a trinity of words, come past they restraining rings, and be thou the hands that protect the balance..."

"Again no reaction with you..."

However once more the words were interrupted as the circle began to glow and with the flash of magical energy a new light began to erupt!

[Dark Pulse]

As if her whole body had practiced this a thousand times before, the girl in the scarlet shirt whirls around effortlessly. Before I can react – no, before I even notice it – a bolt of energy hurtles past me, so close to my face that I can feel an unworldly warmth from it in my cheek as it moves by, exploding with a noisy pop on the ground behind me.

As she squares herself, her off hand conjures up a dark sphere about the size of a baseball.

“Who are you?” the voice asks, but it's less of a demand and more of an interrogation.

I breathe out a sharp sigh of relief, my body having finally reacted to the fact that, had her aim been any more instinctively correct, I might have new holes in me that evolution hadn't provided me. I look up at her, and can see she's clearly in a defensive posture, eyes darting all over, trying to size me up, to mentally gauge me.

The fact is, no matter what I say, it's just going to look bad. It's going to sound bad. It's going to GO bad.

All I can do, really, is tell her the truth... and hope that whatever has changed, that this Rin is still a good person deep down in her heart.

"...Not someone who's in a condition to fight. But I'm not interested in hurting you. I actually don't even know how I got here... just that I couldn't find a way out." My eyes meet hers, which seem to be burning through to my soul, and they move after that to the orb in her hand, somehow glowing and darkening the air around it at the same time.

She sizes me up for a few moments longer, then her hand moves – but not the one containing the orb. Instead, it's her dominant hand – doing an upward motion, and immediately, rock rises from the floor, trapping me inside of a crude, but recognizable, cell. As soon as I realize this, I feel a weight grow against my wrists, and it presses me back, causing me to grunt slightly in pain. As I look down, I see more rock, except smoother and more crystalline, has grown against my wrists, and restrained me to the larger boulder I had been resting against.

Seeming satisfied, the tension melts slightly from Rin's body. Her posture becomes less defensive, and more guarded. She seems to believe that I am sufficiently restrained, at any rate – and as a result, the ball in her hand dissipates as she allows her arm to slacken down to her side.

“Tell me more.” Less of a statement, more of a demand.

Crystals rise up from outside the prison. It seems to be mirrors into my life. Infancy. Childhood. Preteen. Teenager. Young adult. She takes them all in, looking for a clue as to just what this person is apparently doing in this cave.

The expression of mild irritation on her face means she clearly hasn't found what she was seeking.

“What do you know of Emiya Shirou? What do you know of me?” At least this time, it resembles a proper question.

“...I don't know. I was living my life, I went to bed like normal, and then I woke up in this cave. I tried to find a way out and got here, with the addition of some new cuts and scrapes, thanks to that... whatever that thing was that appeared... and I don't think swallowing alcohol helps my coordination, either.” I try to look in her direction, but I really can't see much of her very well – basically just her limbs; her torso being cleverly hidden behind the biggest “bar” in my makeshift cell. “But... everything's wrong. I know you, I know Shirou... but you're not the one I know, and if those looked like him at all, neither is he... it's all wrong...”

I shake my head dejectedly. This is definitely wrong. Rin was stressed, sure. I could even see tense. But, for some reason, Rin was wailing on effigies of Shirou like her very soul needed him dead in order to live.

“...So what, you think this is a particularly bad dream?” She asks.

“I wouldn't be in this much pain from a dream, so I think not.”

I can't see her face, but her body language seems to indicate that I made at least a plausible point in her mind.

“...Huh. Is it just me, then?”

Silence fills the cavern for a few moments.

“Nevermind. You said you know of Emiya. Tell me about him. Who is he, what his abilities are, any Servant he is likely to summon in a Grail War, if you know of it.”

The interrogation begins anew.

“...That's what I'm saying,” I announce with a sigh. “If that's what he looks like, that's not the one I know.”

“Humor me. Tell me about the one you know.” There's a decided edge to her voice; something about it feels off – like she's not sure of her own feelings on him.

“The one I knew – well, the one of you I knew, too – you were allies. You liked him. You saved his life when it was taken before the war, before he was even a Master and had summoned a Servant, before he even knew what a Holy Grail War was. He didn't know anything about magecraft, and you couldn't just let him die like that. But you also weren't as stressed as you seem to be... so this, all of this, is new to me. And clearly from what I saw, you and Shirou are anything but allies and you don't like him in the slightest, so something's changed.”

It silences the warden for a moment.

“...Saving his life? How?” Clearly she's not liking the idea of saving Shirou.

“You used that pendant with ten years of stored energy that your father left you.”

Silence echos once more in the cavern, before the warden turns into a judge.

“...The other me was really, really stupid,” she announces with a crystal-clear tone of disgust. “You're right, that is a very different me. But if he was in the war, he had to have some kind of ability. So what was it? Who did he summon?”

“Saber. He did it by accident. After you revived him, Lancer, who killed him the first time, encountered him again. And from sheer panic, Saber materialized when Lancer had him cornered. He didn't even create a summoning circle.”

After a few moments, I hear the sound of loafers against stone. As I look up, I see that Rin is approaching my cell, and when she gets close enough, she moves so that her face is clearly visible between two gaps of rock.

“A likely story...” And quick as a flash, her eyes narrow. [/COLOR]“...But I'm not a fool who'd believe such a ridiculous lie. Unless...” Her eyes roll slightly in thought for a moment. “...Which Master was he, in summoning order? Was he the last?”

“Dead last. You'd already summoned yours, even. It's how you were able to deal with Lancer.”

Her eyes narrow even more, and I see her step away slightly from the bars.

And the true colors of Tohsaka Rin revealed herself.

“...Fucking Einzberns! How the hell could they design a Grail War so horribly?! Did they put any thought into how things should go at all?! Unknowns being able to summon Servants?! Do they think this is some kind of sick joke?! Rrrrrgh!” Quick as a flash, she turns back towards me and pierces my eyes with her gaze. “I suppose that this silly me then went over to try to save him again, and that Emiya proceeded to attack my Servant with the help of Saber, yes?”

“No. But you did teach him about the Grail War, and figure out his abilities in magecraft were lacking. I guess you could say he kind of became your student in a way... but no, you two firmly allied after that.”

Rin's jaw drops slightly. Being told this seems to make her whole brain short-circuit. “I... taught that bastard? I made an enemy even more dangerous?” She shakes her head, to clear out the mental cobwebs. “This is a little hard to swallow. No, if he somehow had a summoning circle, and somehow called out Saber, which smacks of premeditation, then I'm pretty sure he attacked me. After all, as a Tohsaka, I'd be the biggest threat. Especially if she summoned the same Archer I plan to.”

...Clearly this isn't working very well. She's not exactly kicking my ass... but it's very clear she isn't buying any of this.

But well, I made the stew. I'll have to eat it.

I shake my head. “He didn't even know how to reinforce objects. You had to teach him that. The Shirou I knew really wasn't much of a magus, except in one specific sense, and outside of that, you'd kill him with ease.”

The words seem to work, for once. Or at the very least, a hint of calming appears in Rin's features, although her brain clearly is processing all of this with a large dose of skepticism. “......How in the name of Zelretch did such a... pathetic magus get into the Grail War? Blood Magic? Cursecraft? Family background...? What, did he have something outlandish like a fucking Reality Marble?”

“...All he was good at was Projection. That's why I'm saying everything's different. The Shirou I knew wasn't much of a magus, and you were one of the best, and yet even though you look like you want to just lie down and sleep for about a whole day, you're flinging shots at those effigies of him like he's your biggest threat.” I sigh. “He's different, YOU'RE different... everything's off. And now I don't know why I'm here. Do you realize how much easier this would be for both of us if I could tell you what'd happen? You'd be way happier, too, like the Rin I knew...”

Rin blinks slightly. Perhaps my words about her being happier–

“P... Projection...?! But that makes no... bah, forget it!”

...I take that back. This girl's all about fighting here. No quarter.

“The Emiya Shirou I know is nothing like the one you describe. He's dangerous, is clearly a magus from his prana, and isn't afraid to abuse his power. He's the “Blind Archer,” as people call him, the simpering idiots...” Rin's voice trails off with a tang of disgust, before she resumes speaking after a few seconds.“Never misses a damn shot, even when he's blind, the show-off. He also doesn't report to the Second Owner to ask permission to live here. He seems to spend time around that... Matou girl... and has people wrapped around his finger.”

...Well, I know of someone else who'd fit that description. Could it be... Shirou and Shinji have swapped personalities...? Kind of? Sort of......?

“Well... that is still part of you, at least,” I say, relieved. “Panic over the unknown. And when you don't have all of the info and are rushed into action, it never ends well.”

“...What else do you know about me?” Rin's eyes narrow dangerously, seeming to slightly shine somehow, with a glare that indicates that, somehow, if I give her the wrong answer, grievous bodily harm might be on the menu in Tohsaka Prison.

I swallow to kill the lump that forms in my throat.

“Like I said, the you I knew, and the one standing before me, aren't an exact match. Physically you're about the same, but you're a lot more scared and afraid here than the one I knew.”

“...Just what did you see coming in, as you claimed?” She moves one of her hands slightly in my direction. Crystals spring up around me, and a soft, warm, somehow liquid light pours from them over my body. Truth be told, it feels somewhat pleasant, even making my wounds throb slightly less, but it finishes very quickly, and from the frowning and disappointed look on Rin's face, I can tell once again she didn't get the answer she wanted.

“...It's more like what I COULDN'T see. A lot of sharp rocks that wanted to kill me. Pools that I figured out were filled with alcohol. And that... THING that made me fall into them, after making every hair on my body stand up and my instincts plead with me to run. And that's exactly what I did – right off of that path, and right into the pool.”

“Oh, that.” Rin says somewhat nonchalantly. “Did you see these, too?” With another wave of her hand, the crystals pour liquid light again, only this time, in front of my eyes. From the looks of it, it seems to be Tohsaka Tokiomi fighting someone... and then being struck down, clearly fatally, as his whole body goes limp and ragdolls from the blow, before it cuts to an image – one that is almost inhumanly clear – of Emiya Kiritsugu laughing his head off like a madman, as flames fan and spread behind him and begin to lick at houses.

...Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore. Or, for that matter... my reality.

I sigh, somehow just knowing I will regret saying this, but I feel like I have no choice. “Tokiomi was dead with the Rin I knew too, but Kiritsugu laughing while the world burns? That's a new one...”

“His wish would have destroyed humanity,” Rin quickly cuts me off before I could even think about continuing my sentence – not that I had anything to continue it with anyway, though. “Rejected by the Grail, he destroyed it in spite, and caused fire to rain down on Fuyuki. Emiya Kiritsugu was a monster among monsters.”

And I'm glad he was put down like the rabid dog he was, I somehow feel is how that sentence finished, even if Rin doesn't say anything else.

“...Well, that's sort of what happened with the war I knew, but for a different reason,” I tell her.

“Maybe. There was only one other person there, and he told me everything.”

...Son of a bitch. I had completely forgotten about...

“...I think I can guess who, but I'd like to hear.”

Rin seems to be surprised at the sudden venom that came from me. However, she obliges my request. “An Executor.”

“I know a few of those. Names? Or shall we cut to the chase and say a male priest?”

“Not that that narrows things much,” she says, unconsciously confirming my suspicions, before shifting her weight, and standing as if she is trying to teach me something. “Most priests are male, after all.”

“It means I can discount my other guesses, as those Executors are female.”

“Exe... Buriers, maybe. Most of the Assembly for the Eighth Sacrament is male.”

“So then yes, one Kotomine Kirei...” I feel my muscles tense up – well, as best as they can tense up when I'm restrained by rock.

Of course one Kotomine Kirei. One fraud of a priest... in my world, Rin was skeptical, but in this world, she believed him. It makes perfect, total sense now.

...Rin is not long for this world if she keeps believing him. And, if she dies...... I don't even want to think about what will probably happen to me. God damn it.

I look up, to see a clearly frowning Rin looking back at me. “Yes. My teacher. The man who fought the Beast, taking up my father's Servant and legacy. The man who was defeated by the would-be destroyer of mankind–”

My laughter echoes through the cavern. Even though it hurts, I can't help but do it.

Really? Kotomine the HERO? What a perfectly sick joke. Yes, that would fit his mindset well, claiming to have saved things just enough so that only some people suffered. After all, he has to control that impulse, or nobody is left to suffer, is there? What next, Kotomine? You going to convince Rin to be your bride, too? Or get she to a nunnery – whether a place of worship or a brothel is just as good, is it?

“...Typical. And dangerous. He's got you hook, line, and sinker, doesn't he?”

“What are you talking about?”

“The Kotomine I knew? You could say he was the biggest threat of all. Even bigger than the Einzberns.”

“I doubt that,” Rin says dismissively. “He's not as strong as he used to be.”

“Oh? So old age means he's less of a threat? Tell that to Zelretch, I'm sure he would appreciate it.”

“He almost died in the fight against Emiya Kiritsugu,” Rin presses. “He fought to prevent that foolish wish. I doubt he'd be a threat to me. After all, he let me know this war was coming, so I could prepare.”

Not that it's hard to be a non-threat when you're as clever as the Serpent. Get her used to thinking Shirou is the enemy, while you're perfectly wholesome. If the girl dies, no small loss; if she makes it big, then you easily can take advantage of her trust of you to make her WISH she were dead.

“Yes, and that all plays right into his hands. The Rin I knew? She didn't trust him. Not one bit.”

“Yes, but as you said... that was a different Rin, a different Shirou, and probably a different Kotomine.”

...Well, she does have a point. But frankly? I think I got a better chance of becoming a Heroic Spirit myself than of Kotomine having a shred of decency in his soul.

“Yes, well, that Kotomine was also responsible for killing Rin's father and later nearly killing Rin herself, so forgive me if I'm just a little bit skeptical,” I say with clear displeasure.

“Oh... that explains why you're here perfectly, then,” she announces.

“It does?”

“Indeed. You must be one of his spirits, meant to get me to distrust my ally. As expected of the son of Kiritsugu.”

She laughs, hollowly.

...Give me a break. Now she thinks I'm something Shirou conjured up?! Really, Kotomine has his talons so deep in her that he's not even going to wait until she's dead to begin stripping meat from the soon-to-be carcass, isn't he?!

“A spirit who could get into your head? A spirit who would be injured and so easily restrained? If I knew something like you think I do at all, I could've easily gotten away from all of this. Hell, I could've just taken a shot at your back, completely by surprise, given how focused you were on blasting those effigies. I'm no spirit, I'm trapped in here, damn it!”

“Maybe you were too weak. After all, not all spirits are fighters. Some are just good liars.”

My heart begins to pump faster, and that just gets even faster when, with a simple swipe downward of her hand, the bars in front of me lower, and Rin walks inside my small prison, looking down at me, with the ice-cold look of a soldier. There isn't an ounce of doubt in her face that she is doing the right thing.

She points her dominant hand at me, and then her index finger.

“Gandr.”

And as commanded, the bolt of light forms at the tip of her finger, and then shoots out from it.

[Caster]

Caster and Issei
Outskirts of the Aokigahara Forest
Past midnight, June 17th, 2007

That had not gone as expected. My mind was working, trying to figure out what went wrong. It must just not have been a strong enough catalyst, at least not compared to the forest itself. It wasn't bad by any stretch though. After explaining my situation and hearing about them, it seemed like I had better odds than I might have had with the legendary Abe. It did, however, require a little change of thought. Thankfully I didn't need to be in charge in order to communicate with the Casters, and they had seemed understanding of my situation. It would have been a lot harder if that had not been the case. "Alright, I have a couple of ideas now. I realize that they are... unorthodox. I can't guarantee that they'll go over as smoothly as I would like them to either. But, I'm pretty sure that if we follow these and they work out, they give us the best chance we have for survival. We're going to split up, which is really going to be a handy ability."

I thought back to the reason why the Grail War existed, and why it was where it was. I looked at the black Caster, glad that she had the abilities she did. "Right now, we have the upper hand. I don't know who else has summoned, but we're in the home terrain, and accessing the magical energies of Japan should be easy enough. Further, if the Grail War continues, chances are we're all going to die. As strong as both of you are, there are some truly terrifying opponents in that Grail War. Berserker, Lancer, Saber, any of them alone would be more than a match in all likelihood. Not even counting Gilgamesh. Which means that in order to win, we'll have to fight dirty. Takara, this is where you come in. You're going to be weakening the enemies resources. It'll remove people's motivation to fight, and if there are any fighters left, it should make summoning difficult, as well as fighting us more hard. You'll have to be on your own, but if something happens you should just have to contact me and I can call you back." Takara had the more risky job. But it was also a job that had to be done. Without it, the survival rate would definitely go down. Still, she was strong, and this early in the game many Servants shouldn't be out. Only Berserker, if the timeline still follows that, but how accurate it is I can't tell. "Be sure to do it with as little damage as possible though, I don't want to hurt anyone, just try and tip the scales in our favor."

I then directed my focus to White Caster. "Hana, you and I have an item gathering mission. In the event of a fight you're more likely to need help, which is where KaleidoRuby can come in. He is a solid fighter, and with the goal we have in mind, it's likely that you may need backup. The regalia are not going to be easy items to get, but with them we may be able to better prepare ourselves for the trouble ahead. And you are naturally skilled at this kind of work. I realize it may not be the kind of task you want, but it should work out overall in our favor. Once we're better fortified, we should be good. I'd also like you to send a warning, if possible to the Ryuudojou Shrine. It is unlikely anything will happen there, but I would like to keep it clear if possible. I'm hoping you can do something flashy and god-like as an omen."

I sigh as I prepare myself for this talk. It was a lot of things to say, but no good way to say them. "Issei, I realize that all of this comes as a shock. I'm sorry if I'm being a bit direct right now. I don't want to be, but I also think that you're still a bit taken aback by these turn of events. Finding out that magic is real, and all the implications of you now being in a war is a lot to take in. But I'm doing this to better ensure your survival. And with Caster, we should be able to determine what exactly happened to your father and brother. We just need to be prepared for what will come of it. But by doing all of this, you have a chance at avoiding a great cataclysm befalling Fuyuki, which was almost guaranteed to happen. Your survival wasn't even likely, your temple becomes a battlefield often. But with this, we should be able to avoid all of that. I understand that you're likely worn out by all of this, and if you need me to slow things down so you can rest I understand. But please let me continue to help plan things, at least for the time being, for both of our sakes."

It was a lot of things to do. But Grail Wars weren't for the meek of heart. If it all went according to plan, then I would be able to deal a decisive blow to the plans of anyone else in the war. If it didn't, then I'd deal with the fall out as it came about. But I had a lot of confidence in Caster and Issei, even if Issei was scared right now.

[alfheimwanderer]

Kuzuki Soichirou
Castle Ruins

Excluding Noble Phantasms, there were few catalysts as strong as the bones of dragons - the remnants of the mightiest of phantasmal beasts, extensions of the world which generated prana merely by existing. The strongest of heroes were often compared to them - or slew them in legend to prove their superiority, as had the Hero for which the country of Georgia had been named, and for which its people had a particular reverence. This was one St. George, the Dragon Slayer, one of the Seven Champions of Christendom, one of those who would be easy to summon with such a catalyst - to say nothing of the location being used for the summoning.

In almost any other case, this would have been true - but not in this case. For Kuzuki Souchirou did not come seeking a protector, but a witch of betrayal, one anti-thetical to the legend of the Saint.

So as the link opened to the Throne of Heroes, it passed over the Dragon Slayer to the next one to be associated with a dragon - the possessor of the Golden Fleece.

Several options there were - Jason, leader of the fabled Argonauts, whose Noble Phantasm Argo would have allowed him to call upon other Argonauts to assist him in battle; Phrixus who rode the Winged Ram to escape a terrible fate; King Aeëtes of Colchis...or of course, his daughter, made to fall blindly in love with Jason and make off with Fleece, infamous as the Witch Medea...

The spirit within Kuzuki refused to accept any other possibility except Medea, all but demanding that she be brought into the world.

As wind and light rushed forth, the artifact in Kuzuki's pocket floated into the air, glowing with sympathetic force.

Finally, its reason for being was about to be fulfilled, a final yawning rush of power came forth, and someone materialized, shrouded in prana as to be nearly unrecognizable.





"I am Assassin. You have called me forth it seems," the cloaked figure spoke with what seemed a half amused voice, watching as seals of command branded themselves upon the artifact...and the artifact flew into the Servant's outstretched hand. "Or perhaps this has. A most fascinating device indeed."

She returned her attention to the man who had drawn the summoning circle, only to end unmarked.

"What is it you desire from a Servant such as I?"

[Dark Pulse]

“...Mmmmmgh...”

...Hurts. Everything.

Cell. Only bed. Liquid metal...?

Walls... are glowing.

...Gotta get up. Gotta get out. Slept for years...

“...Ugh.”

Legs don't work. Feel too dizzy. Gotta sit...

...No food. No hunger...? Why...? Disabled...?

...Need answers. Gotta get to cell door. Gotta try again.

So dizzy... wall will he— wall opens...?

Under... water...? How? Should fill cell... shouldn't breathe, but can...?

...Thick. Smells like... pussy.

“Mmmm...”

...Try to move through. Freezes, like ice. Can't go. Gotta go back.

Sit on floor. Smell keeps coming...

“...Smells nice...” Sounds raspy. Still works...

But... tired from moving. And... scent... gotta lay on bed...

...Bed is melting...? Why is... bed melting... into Rin? Silvery... Rin?

Her clothes...

“...Clothes are melting...”

Rin is naked. Rin smiles.

...She's so pretty.

Her hands... grabbing herself. Sighing happily. She's rubbing down there...

She... wants to...? But... why...?

I... I want to—

S, She pushed me! Floor hurts!

She crawls over. On top. Rubs shoulder that hit floor.

Her hand... feels so warm... so soft...

“—?!”

Her hand... moving lower... towards...

I look. Her face... smiles.

At stomach. Still tracing... heart is racing...

...Under my clothing. She grabs–

“!!!”

Hips jerk up. Hand feels so nice... please... right there...

Tracing... feeling...

She... looks intrigued?

She pulls hand away. Please, no... felt ni–

...She pulls my clothes off. Laughs happily when she sees...

She straddles me, lining up, starting to lower herself...

Th, This... is she... does she really want to—

“...Aaaauuuu...”

......Feels so very warm and soft... my whole lower body... she wants me... to

join

have

her...

Her hands... my chest, my nipples... as she moves... it feels so good...

I look... my body... in that liquid... rubbing inside it... slight, liquid sucking noises...

Her face... smiling... her breasts... swaying... nipples hardening...

The sight... that's...

I pull her. Want to kiss her. Need to kiss her. Need to have all of her. Her lips and mouth... tastes just like down there... I need more... I need more of it...

Her hand... takes one of mine. Against her left breast. Warm. Hard nipple digging into my palm. Shuddering with a heartbeat...

No, don't do that... I'm starting to get close... I don't want to yet...

Warmer. Faster. I'm...

Her tongue... tasting, feeling... intoxicating...

Her nose, air flaring air against my lip...

Her hand... pressing mine against her breast... her heart, even faster...

I... I can't take it... I'm going to...

“......NGHHH!!!”

Louder, liquid sucking noises. Out of me... all of it... into her...

A sigh... happy... satisfied...

Did... she need this too...?

Her face... she's so happy... she... enjoyed it too...

Exhausted now... very sleepy... want my bed...

Her head on my chest... listening to my heart race... her hands on my shoulders, stroking...

It feels so nice...

Being

consumed

covered

totally like this...... so very nice......

䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀

“...Mmmmgh...”

My eyes open up slowly. I'm on a bed – a very comfortable bed, one that feels like it was tailor-made for my body.

After a few moments, my vision clears... and my brain remembers that dream, causing my cheeks to flush with embarrassment.

That dream... it was so perverted... and wrong, even... but it felt so REAL, so enjoyable, that I just couldn't help but indulge in it, even if I feel guilty now...

But that's okay. It's a dream. It doesn't mean that's all I think about in terms of Rin. It was just... some weird fantasy, nothing more. The sorts of things that anyone might think about when they're horny and fantasizing; someone important who is the object of their desire, and for that moment, their partner who will satisfy their selfish, animal need for sex. After all, a bed that can change into her like that, that's imposs—

“Finally awake? About time. I gave you a comfortable piece of furniture, and while I knew you'd sleep with it, that wasn't exactly what I had in mind. What do you have to say for yourself?”

...I break out immediately into a cold sweat, followed by bolting upright in the bed.

I turn around. Rin is there, her arms crossed in front of her chest, clearly looking anything but happy.

...Don't tell me... no... there's no way... that was just a dream! It had to be! It was too weird to be real! Her body and clothes couldn't just... MELT like they had here!

U... Unless... I was so out of it, that... I.... oh my god...

“...D... Uh... Th, That was... just a dream, right? We didn't... did we...?”

“What's that matter? Clearly it's what YOU wanted. Otherwise none of that would've happened, would it?”

I feel the blood rushing from my head. I get so dizzy that I swoon, and I have to put my arm out to catch myself. No. No, that's not what I think of you as at all...!

“...It's not like I told my dream to do that! I couldn't even move or think all that well! I just laid on it, and it changed, and then it pushed me down, and—”

“Idiot, you weren't dreaming. What part of that don't you get?!”

Only a faint, muffled roar – of the water, presumably – fills the cell with sound. After a few moments, I can't even bring myself to look at her. I'm too embarrassed...

Rin sighs. “Look. The bed can change shape. It perceives whatever needs and desires you have. I thought that you would have wanted a chair, or a viewing panel, or something like that... but instead, all you wanted was a sex doll.” She pauses for a moment. “...Shaped like me.”

No... damn it, no, no, NO! You're not just a piece of ass to me! Nobody, no girl I know, is...!

“I don't look at you like a sex object! L-Look, all I remember is waking up and feeling extremely dizzy and tired... then I smelled— er, something in the air, and it made me horny... I was going to lay on the bed, but it changed, and before I knew it, it had me down on the floor...”

I'm not looking at her, but I can somehow feel Rin's gaze burning through my face.

“...Hmph. Well, at least it confirms you aren't a spirit of Emiya's, then. No spirit would be affected by anything like that, because they'd never be that stupid.”

...Way to both simultaneously soothe me and belt me.

“E-Even then, what sort of bed changes shape on you?! How the hell was I supposed to know that it would do that to me?! It's not like I can totally help it if I get horny, you know. Everyone does from time to time, right?”

“...Do you really think I'm going to answer that sort of question from someone lik—”

“It was rhetorical, Rin. I wasn't expecting an answer!” I sigh in exasperation. “...Look, if it offended you, I'm sorry, okay? I thought there was no way it could happen in reality, but even then, I could barely move. I don't think that even if I had my full strength back I could resist that thing pinning me down and doing whatever it wanted. If it wanted to rape me, it could, so if it's going to be that much of a problem, just give me a regular bed that isn't going to push me down and have its way with me, and I'll take care of that sort of thing if it happens again myself!”

The roar of the water fills the room again, with neither a noise emitted between myself or the angry brunette.

But I can tell by the silence. If Rin is silent, she is thinking. If she is thinking, she is considering the alternate view. If she is thinking the alternate view... then perhaps she can see how this sort of thing would happen.

With a soft sigh, she speaks again.

“...Right. Enough defensiveness. Clearly, in whatever other media you saw the war in, things were different and I was different. Or———”

Out of everywhere, a telephone rings. It startles me slightly, and I look around for it, realizing at the same time, that I am, indeed, in the same cell. The growing queasiness in my stomach is quickly counterbalanced by seeing Rin disappear before my very eyes. After a few moments, I can hear Rin speak once again. It seems to be coming from a small panel tucked away in a corner of the room, that I hadn't noticed before.

“Tohsaka speaking. ...Yes. ......Ye— What? Why? ...Yes. ......Yes, of course I can meet you, Aozaki-san. It would be an honor, Aozaki-san...”

...She sounds scared as hell. As she should be. Neither of them are something anyone should mess with – even if you're an Average One. Rin is a potent magus, but neither of them are anyone she can beat in a fight. But they both have different methods, so...

“...Which one?” I murmur. And before too long, the answer is revealed to me.

“...Of course I can address you more informally, Aoko-sama... Cafe Ahnenerbe? I'll be over at once.” After a few more moments, there is the sound of a phone being put down on a receiver, and after a sharp exhale, clearly the sounds of Rin getting up and walking around.

It's clear I'm not going to really be able to tell anything else... at least, for now, even if questions are swirling in my head.

Like the possibility that THESE Aozaki aren't like the ones I know, either. For all I know, in this one, Touko is the one who inherited the Aozaki “name” and Aoko is the one who gets by doing the investigative duties.

My mind idly wanders as I lay back down on the bed, staring at the ceiling. If that's what happened, what would her version of Garan no Dou be like? Surely she'd be smitten with Mikiya, just like Touko was... would her relationship with Shiki change because of this Shiki being a girl? And what about Azaka? Aoko's more offensive-minded abilities could mean interesting things for Azaka's pyrokinetic abilities...

Before long, I feel a slight shifting. Out of the mattress of the bed once again rises the liquid metal Rin, only this time, she seems to be holding onto me contentedly against my chest. She's clearly awake, just enjoying the moment.

It still makes my stomach lurch slightly, however, because she's still just as naked, just as warm, just as soft, and just as appealing. I quickly make sure my eyes don't linger in any of those sorts of places for too long... or I'd REALLY have no excuse to justify to Rin in the slightest.

But, if this really is a shape-shifting bed... or whatever its native form is... it's incredibly intelligent. I mean... even if it's liquid metal, it made everything feel exactly like skin. Every part of her body that I touched felt, smelled, even yielded like real flesh would... well, everything except how it tasted, anyway, which tasted more like the flesh “down there.” Even if its heartbeat or breathing were faked, they felt exactly like they should have... even responded how they should have, its “heart” beating faster as it exerted itself. If I had closed my eyes, and she had not... melted onto me, as she had... there would've been almost no way I would've been able to tell the difference from a living, breathing, human girl.

...Just what else can this thing do? Is it sentient...?

“...Can you think? Can you talk?”

It looks up at me slightly, then moves one of its arms, very lightly pressing a finger against my lips to silence me.

“...Ah.” It's the only sound my mind and my throat can coordinate to make.

After a few moments of holding her finger there, she smiles softly, then wraps her arm back around me to join the other, and pushes her head back into my chest slightly, seemingly enjoying the warmth and the comfort of it. Perhaps my heartbeat is something of a lullaby to her...

...Her? I keep referring to it as her. I mean... it's obviously not alive, there's no way it can be, and yet it's acting of what seems to be free will... or at the very least, a very intelligent ability to understand a wide variety of things, more so than would be expected of most non-human animals.

“...!”

Her cheek is brushing up against my nipple. Clearly methodically. It feels nice, but that's not the problem...

The problem is... if we keep doing that... I won't be able to control myself...

“...W-We can't do this. I'm sorry. It's not right...”

Her eyes open, and look up at me slightly. But she smiles anyway, nods softly, and lays her head back down on my chest, no longer trying to tease me or switch me on. For my part, I can't help but stroke her shoulders and back again, which makes her settle into me that much more contentedly.

...It's got to be able to read my thoughts, just like Rin said. So it must know why I don't feel comfortable doing that. Even though... even though I enjoyed it, and blew hard enough to feel a bit sore and tender down there... that doesn't make it right, because no woman is a sex object. It's one thing if they clearly want it, are mutually interested, and say it's okay... but even then, taking Rin's form... that doesn't make it okay, even if it's what my mind and body wanted.

If... that's what it's going to come down to... I'd feel a little more comfortable if it took someone else's form, I guess... at least then, Rin won't be judging me like all I want to do is fuck her and couldn't care less about her otherwise.

I hear the clear sound of a door opening and shutting, and some slight shuffling, as if clothes were being smoothed out, as well as the distinct clacking noise of high heels.

...It's a meeting at a cafe, Rin, not a date. But well, I suppose you'd want to look your best for someone like Aoko, so it makes sense...

......Just don't be surprised when you walk over there to find her in a plain white T-Shirt and well broken-in blue jeans.

䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀ ䷀

“Good afternoon, Second Owner.”

...Aoko doesn't sound herself at all. Either that... or she's an exceptionally polite child here.

No, more than that... somehow I feel like Rin's whole body kicks on alert. The bed seems to notice it too – at least, it reacts to me tensing up by looking up at me, slightly concerned, before lightly pushing me back down to the mattress proper, and wrapping her arms tighter around me.

...It also somewhat blocks my hearing of the conversation. I can tell they're talking, but I can't tell about what. The bed is blocking how well I can hear somewhat with her body, and for once, I slightly curse the cleverness of it being a two-way street.

But after awhile, even it can't hide the next pieces of conversation that I can hear.

“CATSIT?! Y, You want me to catsit that... that, T-T—”

“Come now, Second Owner. Is it not rude to make such accusations? Besides, my... master is not leaving you a choice.”

Wait... Master? Aoko doesn't have a master...

“Enough! Why are you even here, Aozaki-san?”

“Because the last time there was a Holy Grail War, the world was nearly destroyed. I have been charged to prevent that from happening, by any means necessary.”

...That sounds more like what I'd expect Aoko to talk like. But then... who is the other one? It makes no sense for Aoko to be bringing along a child, she's a loner...

......But then again, who knows what else has changed in this world? So much...

“By who?”

“The Overseer.”

...The day just keeps getting better and better.

How am I supposed to ever get Rin to compete with something like Aoko, if that's what it comes down to? If Rin had perfect planning, and could take Kotomine's advantages away, and got a surprise strike, her odds are perhaps 20, 25%. Not stellar, but not unwinnable.

But against a magical force of nature like Aozaki Aoko? She who's capable of the Fifth? She who could level a whole city in half an hour and be home in time for Corn Flakes?

“...Fuck.”

Rin's thoughts summarize mine very nicely as well.

“I'll pretend I didn't hear that,” says a very mildly irritated Magician.

“Very well then, Aozaki-san. But if you are to be involved, what is this business about catsitting?”

“Why, you did not expect my Master to waste her time around such riff-raff, did you? That...” Somehow, I can hear as if the child is wrinkling her nose. “...is my job.”

“A vampire?! A FUCKING VAMP—”

“My FAMILIAR,” Aoko says with enough ice in her voice to make both Rin's – and my – blood freeze in our veins.

...I have a feeling I know exactly what she's talking about. Indeed... all of the evidence adds up to only one real conclusion. And if I'm right, and it's what I expect... Rin better not keep calling it a vampire unless she has a death wish.

“Now, I'm entrusting you to her, as the Overseer apparently has a desire to keep you alive.”

But for what reason, my mind silently mutters.

“A-Ah... you mean, Kirei went out of his way to...”

“I don't understand myself,” the child speaks. “Such a crude and unfeminine creature. Perhaps he has simply grown soft. Or maybe she's the priest's secret lo—”

“THAT'S NOT IT AT ALL!!!” An uncomfortable silence fills the air for a few moments before her throat awkwardly croaks out a “...Sorry.” Her swallow to re-moisten it is distinctly audible.

“...I don't know how you're still Second Owner... but if you don't clean up your act, you're dead,” Aoko states with a clear tone of both somberness and sincerity, as well as a sigh. “If – and ONLY if – I have to act, Len might help you escape. If she feels like it. Otherwise... that Emiya kid is more interesting than you are.”

I swear I can hear the creaking of Rin's molars grinding against themselves.

...As expected. In this universe – Bizarro Fuyuki – they're switched too. The normally quiet one is now the assertive one, and the assertive one is the meek, passive one.

But that, at least, is neat and clear. They're two sides of the same personality, the same thing. Each doesn't want to admit the other exists, each wants to kill the other... and yet, they're incomplete without the other, and they both know it, so they settle for an eternal, uneasy detente, to keep the status quo.

“...Anyway. It was a feast. I have to buy some other things, with what I have left after my bitch of a sister cleaned out my account, but I'm sure you'll have no problems picking up the tab. See you around, Second Owner.”

A slight jangling of a bell that sounds oddly like the meowing of cats. Followed by a voice going “Your bill, Miss.”

Followed by the clear sound of splintering wood from a fist hitting it. Followed by a feeling that could only be described as “Murder Death Kill.”

I look to the other Rin resting on my chest, who seems very content with being there. I realize that she'd better get the fuck out of here, unless she likes resting on the chests of dead men, with extra holes in there that weren't intended to be from a full-force blast of magic.

“...I think you'd better turn back into a bed. I don't think she's going to be in a very good mood when she returns here.”

It lifts its head up, and shakes it very slightly. But it does begin to morph – instead of a bed, it turns into an extremely comfortable robe. It feels like it's made from the finest fabrics in the world, and yet it still has a slight, shimmering gleam to it, belying its metallic nature, but after a moment, even that changes, and it begins to mimic iridescence, making the robe all that more exotic.

...I usually just throw on whatever fits me half the time, but even I can't deny liking this robe.

I hear a door slam, and hands fumbling for something. The noise of a rotary dialing telephone being quickly swished is heard. Rin must have somehow ran the whole way here, too, as I can hear her panting, and swallowing and clearing her throat.

...And the one thing you definitely don't want to do is piss off a woman in high heels. Even if they don't break, she will kick your ass for making her run in them, without fail.

“Kirei. Who else was summoned? ...Caster, Berserker, Rider, Assassin. You're SURE that's it? ......Rrrgh, fine. ...Yes, I know it's late. I wasn't expecting to be woken up either, but I just had a problem dumped in my lap, and she mentioned you. ......What do you mean 'Everything will be fine,' don't you know what it is?!” Silence for a few moments. “...Yes, I know it's late. ......Fine, but we're going to be talking tomorrow about this. ...Right. Goodnight.”

She hangs up. I hear the meow of a cat, which gets her to mumble slightly, before she heads back off, and another door shuts, followed by the clear sound of heavy fabric being thrown over.

I sit on the floor and wait. Within about ten or fifteen minutes, she reappears where she had been when she disappeared. She eyes me, then the robe, then she notices the panel. She very visibly swallows, clearly trying to hold herself back from saying something on her mind.

“...How much did you hear?”

“More than enough to know you're in a very tight and uncomfortable spot.”

A heavy sigh comes from the teenage magus. “...The day can't get any worse than this. Fine. You've heard what happened. What do you think? Especially of that... Dead Apostle Ancestor in my———”

The air shimmers heavily in the center of the room. And out steps a small girl, who immediately curtsies.



“Good evening. I thought I heard someone speaking of me?”

“YOU!!! HOW DID YOU GET IN HERE?!”

...For once, I was wrong. For once, the expected was wrong.

The unexpected – that she would be what she should be – was right. And that means I'd better get used to calling her simply Len – or else I'm going to have my vocal cords spayed.

Immediately, Rin adopts a defensive posture, but while rearing back, bolts of energy form at her fingers, even up her left hand, and after bracing herself to the ground, she begins firing them off, as if her arm had turned into a machinegun.

Effortlessly, as if she expected such an attack, an ice shield forms up in front of the girl, and the bullets of energy deflect off it harmlessly, each shot sizzling slightly as it hits the walls and dissipates. I find myself ducking and staying low on the ground to avoid eating another shot – I already had one, and after that kind of experience, I have to say that my objective position on taking a second is “No sir, I don't like it.”

“Foolish,” she replies, and from my angle, I can see the slightest hint of a sadistically-satisfied grin form, before she snaps her fingers. Immediately, chunks of ice form in front of Rin, and they quickly pin her up and against the wall – arms held flat to it, legs down and about a foot off the ground. Part of me realizes – and after a few moments of looking shocked, it looks like Rin also realizes – that the posture of her body resembles that of a crucifixion.

“Now that wasn't very nice, Tohsaka-san,” White Len says while Rin struggles futilely against the ice chunks. “Is that how you treat all your guests? As if they are all some kind of potential enemy until proven otherwise?”

“The hell do you think you're doing, Rin?!” I find myself shouting. “Do you want to get yourself killed or something?!”

At that, White Len turns around, away from Rin, and sets her gaze upon me. She smiles slightly, warmly even.

“Oh, good evening to you, Dark Pulse-san. Or would you prefer Toma-san?” She curtsies elegantly. “That seems to be the name she found in your mind.”

...My mind? How does she know about my mind? How does she even know about me...?

“...How do you know my name? Well... some of my names, anyway...?”

“Ask her,” White Len says, straightening herself up. “She's the one who apparently mined your brain for information while you were unconscious.”

“Like YOU'RE one to talk! Don't play Little Miss Innocent here!” Rin writhes against the wall, gritting her teeth.

..................

..................RIN DID WHAT?!?!

“You... invaded my mind like that?! How could you!?”

“SAYS. THE. ONE. WHO. INVADED. MINE!!!!!”

“Like I had a choice! YOU DID!!!”

How could she?! How could she give me shit about how I look at her when she's perfectly willing to knock me out and then just pick around in my mind carelessly!? Some of this stuff isn't stuff she didn't need to know! Some of this is things she'd be just plain better off not knowing!

No wonder I felt so lethargic. No wonder I was so easily swayed by everything. No wonder why that... bed even did what it did. My mind was so scrambled up that all I cared about was whatever was immediately presented in front of me, acting on animal instinct and nothing else! And then to have the nerve to act like all I care about is her pussy?! If she looked she'd know I like her for a million other reasons! Now she's not only judging me unfairly, she's lying about it all, too!

That takes... serious balls. I don't get angry often, but god damn, am I angry at her right now!

“If it makes you feel better, Dark Pulse-san,” White Len's voice calls out, “she really did think you were an evil spirit. Fufu, and the Emiya boy's clan did work as mediums once, so she wouldn't be too off about his abilities...”

Rin's eyes go very wide, very fast. “You... what do you— MMPGH?!”

A thin layer of ice has coated Rin's mouth, sealing it up, though still allowing her to breathe through her nose.

“That's a secret, Tohsaka-san,” she announces, before turning back over to me. “Well? Do you blame her for being so intrusive?”

I can't help but stare deeply into Rin's eyes. She must be able to tell how uncomfortable I am, as after a moment, her gaze averts itself from mine.

At least... that tells me she's aware that what she did was wrong.

“...No. She had her reasons. But she definitely didn't need to pry for everything to know I wasn't what she thought, so it doesn't make it any less wrong,” I say. “It's just... damn it, there's some things that would have been better left unsaid, okay?! Now she's got a whole bunch of other reasons to be suspicious of me.”

“Like the fact you didn't mention that Emiya Shirou had a Reality Marble?” White Len says with a slight smile.

“Oh yes, sure. Mention an ability that her Shirou might not have. What good would that do but scare the hell out of her?! She's already afraid enough as it is!”

“Ufufu, so defensive of her, aren't you, Dark Pulse-san? At least you're proving that side of you is genuine too.”

...Ergh. Damn it. That defuses me a bit, even though I don't want it to.

“But you have a point. She would believe anything of Emiya-san... poor, gullible Tohsaka-san,” she says, looking back to Rin, who is looking now more irritated than anything, but at least she's stopped struggling. “Anything bad, anyway, as she so painfully demonstrated on you when you tried to mention how your Emiya-san was a fair bit nicer. But as he IS Lady Amber's protege... perhaps she's not entirely wrong?”

She says it so singsongishly, so childishly, that I scarcely register her teasing tone. Instead, I tune in on two specific words.

“...Lady Amber... you mean—”

“Ah-ah, Dark Pulse-san. If you said that, you'd be spilling the beans and have nobody to blame but yourself, would you? Besides, why not turn it into a game... with all of those memories of yours that she now has, she should be able to figure it out herself, yes?” She looks back up at Rin, who is glaring down at her, angrily now, and it causes her to struggle against the ice restraints, followed by a clear “MMPH!” of muffled pain. Underneath the ice, it looks like a reddish tinge is taking to the otherwise clear, crystalline crags.

...White Len is enjoying this far too much.

“It doesn't make her automatically right, either! Look... I don't know much about the changes here. All I know is this isn't the Rin, the Fuyuki, or the Holy Grail War I know. In fact, the only thing I can even be sure on that's even remotely like the one I know is you. And that's why, in the end...” I sigh. “...It's a good thing you're here.”

White Len turns to look at me. For a brief moment, I see a hint of surprise on her features, but it's fleeting. Within a second or two, it's replaced with a slight, knowing smile.

“Huhuhu, is that so? It's so nice to be wanted.” She strolls casually over towards me.

“Don't get too happy over it. As far as I know, I'm trapped in here. She's the one who's going to have to be feeding you.”

“Oh, I could reverse that,” she says slyly, stopping a few feet away from my sitting form. “I could leave her pinned here if you wish. After all, Master never said I had to preserve her mind...”

She smiles. A smile that bears absolutely no warmth whatsoever.

At this, Rin thrashes even harder against her restraints. Her mouth may be muffled, but she's clearly yelling in pain as she tries to break free, and now crimson rivulets are running off of the ice restraints, mixing with water to create an off-red set of droplets on the floor.

“...I don't know of her life or how she does things. It'd be a very bad idea,” I announce.

After a few moments mulling over my words, White Len gives a slight “Hmph” and snaps her fingers again. The restraints vaporize instantly, and Rin crumples onto the floor in a heap, but she quickly composes herself, and after fishing down her top, she pulls out a jewel – her aces aren't up her sleeves, after all – and she tries to fling it in White Len's direction.

Only for it to stop dead in its tracks after about six inches of travel, and reverse until it's so close to Rin's face, she could reach out and lick her blood off of it, causing her to startle back against the wall.

White Len glances away from me, and towards her. “See, Tohsaka-san? This Toma-san isn't so bad. Yes, he may be a jobless, degenerate pervert who wishes to defile you and have his way with you, but he didn't take your body when I gave him the chance. Uhuhuhu!”

...Gee, thanks, Len. I've had warmer praise from a freezer.

“...You. Utter. Bitch.” Rin scrambles to her feet, grabbing the jewel as she does so.

White Len turns to her fully, and curtsies once more. “I'm so pleased to be of service, Second Owner.”

“...Damn it, BOTH OF YOU, KNOCK IT OFF!”

At that, White Len turns her head towards me, smiles slightly, and with a shimmer, disappears. As I look back to Rin, her legs and body are clearly shaking. Whether from chill, from anger, or from fear... I can't tell.

I stand up. “Look, pissing her off is a bad idea, okay? Trust me on this. Or do you want to get yourself killed?!”

“...I'll kill her in the process,” she coldly announces.

“Really, Rin? She pinned you against a wall in your own mind and made your jewel stop inches from blowing your head apart after you threw it. Do tell me how you're going to kill her!”

“...Even a vampire has to sleep sometime.”

“...And you really think she's stupid enough to have not prepared for a sneak attack?”

“I'll sic Gilgamesh on her!”

...Gilgamesh? That's who you wanted to summon?!

“Yes, that'll go just smoothly. Women and children, his two favorite things. Look, just... sit down and calm down.” I look around for some place for her to sit, when I realize that her clothing is actually fairly shredded up – enough to see that Rin's wearing rather feminine underclothing, at any rate. I quickly make sure my gaze doesn't stay on them, and instead, sticks to her face.

“Don't tell me to calm down!”

“Fine, then tell me, what good is staying angry going to do? Is it going to make you more likely to win? Is it going to change the situation at all?”

Silence for awhile.

“............No.” The word sounds like it was squeezed out from both her lungs and her brain.

“No, it won't. And if you're anything like my Rin – who I'm sure you know VERY well by now – then tell me what will happen if you focus on anger and blindly lash out at things.”

She doesn't say anything. But then again, she doesn't need to. The slight wince at my words – along with the knowledge she ripped out of my brain – means she knows exactly what I'm trying to get at. With a long, drawn-out sigh, she finally allows her body to relax, and she slides slowly down the wall, until she's sitting on the floor.

“...Swallow my pride, or lose my life? I'll swallow my pride every time, Rin.” I also give a sigh, and sit down next to her, making sure I'm comfortable and also a respectful distance from her. “...I just hope that in the end, you can be the same way. Otherwise, if you're going to be that reckless, you might as well just kill me now and be done with it, because at least you'll do it mercifully.”

She stays silent for a few moments, but takes another slow inhale and exhale. Not only is she calming down, she is thinking. And when Rin thinks... she always does better than when she follows her initial impulse of lashing out.

Then, after a few moments, she shakes her head softly.

“...I'm not a murderer. Unlike that vampire. Unlike that monster.”

“No, you're not a murderer,” I reaffirm. “But the truth also is, she's not as bad as you think. Or are you going to say that my memories of her are just lies, too?”

Another wince. I can tell that me bringing up my memories – and how she obtained them – is definitely something that part of her is regretting doing. However, it also lights a fire under her, and she turns her head clearly towards me.

“Butchering cities isn't monster enough for you? Creating twisted mockeries of heroes, family, friends? Being a fucking Dead Apostle Ancestor isn't monster enough for you? Then tell me what is!?”

“Yes, it would be bad, if we made her out as an enemy.” My own head turns to look at hers. “And that's exactly what you're going to do if you keep on trying to piss her off! Is that what you want?!”

Our eyes meet, glaring. They are having a battle of the wills, trying to get the other to see their viewpoint.

Rin blinks first. Her eyes then shift slightly downward.

“...I suppose not. Not without enough backup, at least.”

“Not without enough backup?! Listen to yourself! What are you trying to do, lie to yourself and say you're a being of perfect good, that you're somehow incapable of doing evil things yourself?!”

“...Not... that evil...” Rin's voice falteringly states.

“Ah-ah, that's not what I asked. I want a straight answer, Rin. Are people capable of being both saints and sinners – or even both at the same time?”

Rather than answer me, Rin gives me a slightly irritated glare. It seems that the combination of truths she can't deny – combined with possibly lingering guilt over what else has happened – has finally caused her to have enough... at least, for now.

“Fuck it,” she announces, standing up and dusting herself off as best as she can. “Silver, restrain him again, however you can. I've got things to do.”

With that, Rin disappears. As soon as she does, the screen turns off in the corner, and along with it, the light also seems to go out. I feel a gentle, relaxing warmth cover over me entirely, and even though I am enveloped, it is easy to breathe, and it feels like my whole body is relaxing on a cloud.

It coaxes me into a resting position, and with supreme comfort, my body is quickly coaxed into sleep.

[Kuroyuki]

Kuzuki Souichirou
Colchis Ruins

‘It worked! Look at that Kuzuki the plan worked!’

‘Do you have any suggestions on what I should tell her?’

‘Straight to the point as always… Let’s see. I think the best policy would be to try and be as honest and straightforward as possible. Why not just say what you think is best. I’ve never really been all that good at this kind of thing. I’m sure you remember when we first met…’

‘Very well then, I will do that.’

“I do not know. I was told by a wandering spirit to summon you and so I have. I believe this same spirit may also have information about this particular situation you are now involved in, should you request it he seems willing enough to share. That is what I have been told. And though it seems you do not need my aid now that you have been brought forth I will offer it all the same.”

OOC: Posting for Milbunk