Steel And Cherry Blossoms

[Elf]

Disclaimer: I don’t own them, Type-Moon and Nasu does.

Steel and Cherry Blossoms
By Elf

The vibration of the motorcycle shook her to her very core as her field of vision seemed to grow smaller as she increased speed. She wanted to drop the hammer and let her new beloved bike go as fast and hard as it could go, but she already gathered enough attention anyway. Still, she was smiling ear to ear as she nimbly moved the Hayabusa through Fuyuki City’s streets.

Hot air whipped through her long, braided hair and passed through her jacket, but the former Rider class Servant was thankful for its armor as she rode. Rider knew all too well that with one miscalculated movement that she could easily lose her new life. Her smile melted from her face as she gripped the handlebars, moving her booted foot to shift the gear as she had to slow to her destination.

Rider had a purpose, but she knew she couldn’t do this alone.

There were other former Servants who would be more than willing to help her, but they lacked any finesse to get what she needed done. Power had its uses, but Rider needed someone more who thought before they charged in screaming with a bladed weapon. She needed someone who could notice things that she couldn’t, plan accordingly and adapt if needed.

Most of the former Servants would fail miserably at that, and one of the ones that could Rider wouldn’t trust. The other she wasn’t too keen on trusting either, but she knew if she presented the situation properly he would cave in. Just how to present the problem would be the problem.

After the miracle of the Fifth War that had given Servants and fallen Masters a second chance at life, most of the Servants happily reintegrated into Fuyuki’s society. Romances blossomed, second chances were granted and mostly everyone was happy. Everyone except my former Master, she thought as she slowed her bike. Her true Master’s situation had not changed, if anything it had gotten worse and Rider was not going to let her go through the same hellish existence she had.

Rider stopped the bike at the address given. She looked up at the small brick building looming before her. There was a neat, simple sign in black that simply stated “Repairs” in both English and Japanese. The windows reflected plenty of light and she knew that above the shop there was a small apartment for the shop owner.

Out of all the other Servants, Servant Archer had distanced himself as much as possible from his former Master and everyone else. Rider actually got the information about the former Servant from several girls in Sakura’s class who were giggling about it at the library that Rider worked part time. She had pressed for more information and suffered through the girls swooning over the “Handsome Archer-san” before she gotten what she had needed.

She parked the bike, turned off the motor, propped the kickstand and dismounted. She pulled off her helmet and rested it on the seat before pulling off her beloved purple, white and black leather racing jacket. She tossed the jacket over her shoulder before collecting her matching helmet and headed into the shop.

The only sound in the room was a chime of bells above the door announcing her arrival. Sitting at a work bench bent over an antique oak clock was Archer himself. Sweat made his skin glisten and part of his white hair was falling in face while other was in its normal spikes. Steel grey eyes flickered up to her, narrowed and his hands dropped from the clock and under the table.

Rider studied him and adjusted her glasses to make sure her eyes wouldn’t petrify him as he stared at her. The last time they had met had been a battle and they had crossed blades. For an Archer, she had been surprised with his skill in close ranged combat even though he was slower than most of the other Servants. However, unlike Saber who had been pure instinct in battle, Archer calculated and could maneuver around any trap that she would attempt to lure him in. It had gotten to the point where she had to take off her Gorgon Breaker to petrify him with her eyes.

That had only slowed him down, and to her amazement he had been able to move still.

They stood in their silent dead lock for countless moments before Rider smiled ever so slightly and said, “Hello Archer.”

“Rider,” he replied in a rough voice.

She looked around and asked, “May I set these down please?” She nodded to her jacket and helmet. He blinked and the scowl deepened in his features before he pointed to a tidy desk with paper work towards the front of the shop. Rider turned around and walked over to the desk.

She had the urge to scatter the painstakingly neat paper work to see his reaction, but quelled it as she draped her jacket over the office chair there and set her helmet in the seat. She turned to look at him with his hands still hidden behind his work table. She tilted her head and said, “I’m not going to attack you, Archer.”

“Can’t be too careful,” he replied as his eyes narrowed at her.

She smiled at that, placed her hands on her hips and said, “No, you can’t, but the war has been over for a long time now.”

“Hn,” was his taciturn response, however he brought his hands back to the table to continue to work on the clock.

Rider moved over to the antique and examined it. The dark reddish wood was polished to a high enough sheen where she could see her reflection. Archer had taken the face of the clock out and the mechanisms were currently organized on the table as well as a set of delicate looking tools. For someone who would have been an Epic Hero, Archer seemed to be good at tasks like this. Then again, none of us know his true identity, she thought to herself as she ran her fingers over the wood.

“What are you doing here, Rider?” he asked as she moved her fingers off of the clock.

She answered, “I need help.”

“Don’t we all?” he replied in an acid laced voice as he stared at her.

She sighed, drew a deep breath and fought against the urge to punch him. She answered, “Good point, Archer. However, some people need more than others. I’m sure you are aware that with the change in events there are still loose threads.”

His eyes narrowed, but he said nothing. Rider took that as a sign that he was listening and considering her words. Good, she thought as she readjusted her glasses. She pushed a stray lock of her lavender hair off her shoulder before eying him again.

“Why me then? There are six other Servants you can ask for help,” Archer said with a frown.

She smiled at that and said, “Two of those I don’t want anything to do with due to past history, one of which is too arrogant to do anything for anyone other than himself, one I know nothing about, and two of which charge into battle with a scream waving a bladed weapon. No, I need someone with a bit more finesse.”

“I attempted to kill the person my Master allied herself with,” Archer replied in a flat voice. She noticed that his eyes flickered down and his hands clinched into fists before relaxing on the table again. She briefly wondered what he was thinking, if he was reacting in guilt or anger for failing.

She said, “Honestly, your attempted betrayal is one of the reasons I’m here.”

Archer’s eyes narrowed as he asked, “For what?”

“I want you to help my Master,” Rider said as her eyes met and held his.

Archer froze as if she had taken off the glasses blocking her Mystic Eyes before taking a deep breath. His shoulders tensed as he flexed his fists and said, “I doubt you’re talking about Shinji.”

“I want you to help Sakura,” Rider said evenly as she looked him in the eye.

[Elf]

(Author's Notes: When Berserker appears in this fic and speaks, you must imagine his lines as spoken by Kevin Sorbo.)

Archer felt tension spring through his shoulders, down his spine, arms and legs as those oddly beautiful pale violet eyes with their square pupils met his. He knew the enchanted glasses Rider was wearing would protect him from the dangerous effect of Rider’s eyes, but still seeing them so open and naked was enough to make him pause. He mentally shook himself as her words entered his mind.

As a boy, Sakura had been like family to him. She had helped nursed him when he had the acid burn on his shoulder and helped shoulder his cooking and cleaning as well as keeping track of Fuji-nee. Then the Fifth Grail War hit, he had met Ilya, Ilya died and he threw himself into his hollow ideal saving as many as he could. He grew farther and farther away from both Sakura and Fuji-nee, becoming closer and closer to Rin and Luvia Edifelt.

He frowned and asked, “What’s wrong with Sakura?”

“It’s a long story,” Rider said as she looked away, a faint flush tinting her cheeks.

Archer looked back down at the clock, grabbed his smallest Torx screwdriver and began to work on it again. He tightened a screw that was holding onto one of the more intricate gears. He stared at the gear for a moment, sighed and looked back at Rider. He set the screwdriver down in annoyance.

The sensible thing to do would be to kick the Gorgon out of his shop. However, her words and expressions were staying his hand. I can’t let this go, can I? he thought to himself as he clinched his hands into fists before relaxing them. He sighed and opened his eyes before he realized he had closed them. Rider was watching him expectantly with those unblinking eyes.

He said, “I’m not going anywhere.”

“What do you know of the Matou bloodline?” Rider asked as she folded her arms under her breasts.

He answered, “They’re a dead magi, no circuits left. Or at least none active.”

“And what do you know of the Tohsaka line?” Rider asked in a soft voice.

Archer took a deep breath and answered, “Sakura is Rin’s younger sister.”

“How long have you known?” Rider asked as she smoothed a stray lock of hair that had escaped from her braid from her face.

He sighed and answered, “Since after this War. I put two and two together and got four. There were hints here and there, not to mention Rin has a matching hair ribbon in her bedroom that’s the exact copy of the one Sakura wears in her hair.”

“You deduced this from a hair ribbon?” Rider asked with wide eyes.

Archer shrugged and said, “And a thousand other little things too. I did follow Rin a good deal in incorporeal form during the War.”

“So you noticed a lot then,” Rider said in a soft voice.

[Elf]

Archer raised his eyebrows and said, “Not to mention I know Rin very well. So, apparently the Matous made a deal with the Tohsakas and received Sakura in the process.”

“From my understanding yes, I don’t know all the details,” Rider admitted.

Archer felt his lips quirk up as he snorted and said, “I know magi. They’re self-serving bastards who only care for themselves and their pursuit of knowledge. They kill their emotions and isolate themselves for power.”

“So, will you help Sakura?” Rider asked as she placed her hands on the table and leaned forward.

Archer sighed and said, “I really don’t have a choice, do I?”

“You could say no,” Rider said as her eyes met his again.

He chuckled darkly, shook his head and replied, “No I can’t.” He picked up his screwdriver again to set to work on putting the gears back together. He whispered his personal spell to Reinforce his eyes before asking, “What’s the situation?”

Rider answered, “Matou Zouken has control over Sakura due to his mage craft. He has . . . experimented on her as well as other things.”

“What do you mean by experiment?” Archer asked as he put down the screwdriver, picked up a pair of pliers and started on a very small cog. With his eyes Reinforced like this he could see the tiny notches in the brass from when the gear was originally manufactured. It was a beautiful clock and there was something soothing about the work he was putting into it.

He heard Rider take a deep breath and answer, “It is . . . personal.”

Archer gritted his teeth and took a deep, calming breath. In his existence and tenure as an Ally of Justice, there were several reasons why someone would answer a question with “it’s personal” and none of those were ever favorable. Especially with women, he thought darkly as he adjusted the cog before putting the tools down. He looked up at her and simply said, “I see.”

“Do you?” Rider asked sardonically.

He smirked again and answered, “Those words never mean a good thing when a woman is in trouble. I’ll help.” He gritted his teeth as he picked up the pliers and tightened a nut. He replied, “I might be an asshole, but there are lines that I’ll draw.”

“Thank you, Archer,” Rider replied and through the corner of his eye he could see her bow.

Archer straightened up from the clock and replied, “Now, since we are going to save Sakura, I need to know details of what we’re dealing with. What happened to Sakura stays with her unless she’s ready for someone else to know, however I need to know what I’m dealing with so I can plan accordingly.”

Rider’s face brightened to a smile as he bent down to continue to work again. He ignored the radiant smile as she replied, “Good. Zouken is apparently centuries years old, I’m afraid I don’t know all that much. I do know he is controlling Sakura with some sort of mystical worm implanted in her body.”

Archer felt his stomach twist in disgust at that and he said, “I think I know someone who can give me more information, especially if Zouken is that old.”

“Who would that be?” Rider asked with a frown.

Archer’s lip quirked up in a parody of a grin as he answered, “Kotomine Kirei.”

“The priest?” Rider asked as she tilted her head.

“False priest,” Archer answered with a dark chuckle. Once the initial bad gears were replaced, putting the rest of the clock together was going rapidly. He looked at Rider and said, “Put your finger right here and lightly press.”

Rider leaned forward, lavender hair trailing on the table as she pressed on the nut in question. “It’s beautiful,” she said in a soft voice as she looked at the clock with a smile.

He smiled himself and replied, “It is. A lot of care and love went into building this.”

“You respect that,” Rider said, her voice not making it a question.

He nodded and said, “Yeah, I do. The owner does too.”

“How unlike most of the heroes here,” Rider said with a shake of her head, “I have my idiosyncrasies, but you are an enigma to me, Archer.”

He smirked at that as he tightened the clock around the bolt Rider was holding into place for him. He replied and said, “Yeah, I’m odd.”

“So you are going to talk to the priest?” Rider asked him as she backed away from the clock.

Archer nodded and said, “False priest, but yeah.” He chuckled at the irony of the situation. Rider frowned at him but said nothing. He grabbed the cloth beside his tools and wiped his hands off. He said, “Once I get information and a plan, I’ll come find you.”

“You’ll know where I’ll be?” Rider asked with a tiny grin.

He replied, “You sort of stand out. We all do.”

She chuckled at that and said, “True. I work at the Library Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.”

“And you street race on Thursday and Friday nights,” Archer replied as he put his towel down beside his tools.

Rider’s eyes shot to his face as she asked, “How did you know that?”

“I worked for Fujimura Raiga to save up enough money to get this place,” Archer said with a shake of his head.

Rider opened her mouth to reply when the chime above the door sounded. Archer looked up and felt his stomach drop. Standing in the door way was one Sensei Fujimura Taiga and Mitsuzuri Ayako. Archer’s former guardian smiled at the sight of him and nearly bounded over to him. Archer resisted the urge to flea as far and fast as he could, but instead looked over at Rider who was practically glowing as she approached Ayako.

The teenage girl swallowed and her amber eyes widened as she physically took a step back from Rider. She was dressed in blue jeans and an olive green tank top to stave off the summer heat. Her fox colored hair was pulled up in a pony tail, exposing her neck to which Archer noted Rider’s eyes lingered on for a moment. Rider smiled as she gently placed her finger under Ayako’s neck and asked, “Are you eating well?”

“Hi Archer-san, we’ve got some repairs for you,” Taiga said with a smile as she lifted up a duffel bag that had arrow shaped bulges all through it. She asked, “So, could you take this for me, it’s kinda heavy?”

Archer rapidly wiped his hands again and took the bag of bows from her. He set it on the clear part of his work bench and opened it. He felt his shoulders slink in annoyance as he looked at the broken parts in front of him. He ran his finger over one heavy crack in a carbon bow and shook his head. He remembered the students in the Archery Club being more careful with their bows.

“So, can you fix them?” Ayako asked as she tried to move away from Rider, however the Gorgon was persistent in her stalking.

Taiga clasped her hands behind her back and swayed back and forth, causing her green skirt to sway with her. With a knowing smile she said, “Archer-san can fix anything.”

Archer swallowed as Rider stood so close to Ayako that they were almost touching. There were two high spots of color on Ayako’s cheeks as Rider smiled down at her. He ignored Taiga’s comment and cleared his throat. Taiga moved closer and asked, “So, when can you have these fixed, Archer-san?”

“When do you need them? Summer break’s only has two more weeks right?” he asked as he looked away from Taiga. She was leaning closer towards him with a smile and her lashes lowered under her eyes.

Ayako said, “Yeah, could you have them done by next week Archer-san? I would like to get training started before the new term starts.”

“Of course. Fujimura-sensei, I’ll charge my regular rates,” Archer said, the formal title rough against his tongue.

Taiga giggled, waved her hand and said, “Archer-san, how often do I have to ask you to call me Taiga?”

“Every time we meet, Fujimura-sensei,” Archer replied as he tensed.

Taiga asked, “Could you deliver those when they’re finished to the school?”

“Of course,” Archer said.

Taiga grinned and said, “Great, you know my phone number so call me when they’re ready!”

He swallowed and quietly nodded. Then she reached out to lightly touch his arm and said, “Grandpa wants to know if you’ll come work for him again.”

“It depends on what he wants me to do,” Archer said with a tiny smile. He had honestly enjoyed working for the yazuka leader for the past few months until he had enough money to buy this place. “He knows how to call me.”

Taiga pouted and mumbled something like, “Well, I don’t . . .”

Archer ignored that and then looked at Ayako. Rider was still smiling at her and getting all too close. Archer said, “Well, I’m going to get to work on these then. I’ll let you know when they’re finished.”

“Thank you Archer-san,” Ayako said as she took a step back from Rider.

Taiga winked at him and said, “You’re the best. Hey, you want to go to dinner some time? I know someone who’s an excellent cook and would probably love to meet you.”

I seriously doubt it, Archer thought dryly as he simply smiled and politely said, “I’ll think about it, Fujimura-sensei.”

Taiga pouted for a moment before smiling again. She said, “Well, take care Archer, come on Ayako, let’s go get something to eat!”

She moved to grab the girl’s arm and Rider smiled and said, “Be sure to eat well, Ayako.”

Ayako flushed even more before bowing her head at Archer and nearly making a run for it out of the shop. Once they were gone, Archer raised his eyebrows at Rider and she raised her eyebrows at him. “The teacher seems quite taken by you,” she said with a slight grin.

Archer smirked and retorted, “And you’re taken with Ayako.”

“Mmm,” Rider said with a smile before it fell. She rested her chin on her knuckles and said, “I’ll be ready once you come up with a plan Archer.”

He nodded and said, “I’ll find you.”

[Elf]

After he had closed, Archer headed for the Chinese side of town to a certain restaurant that had a very infamous reputation. The owner spoke very poor Japanese, but during his travels in his lifetime, Archer had forced himself to learn Chinese (both Mandarin and Cantonese), English, and Korean. He spoke English the best out of the three languages and two dialects, but then again he had spent a good majority of his life in England. However, he spoke and read enough Chinese that the infamous restaurant owner couldn’t bully him and use his ignorance of the Japanese language as an excuse to over charge him.

Not that anyone tries to bully and overcharge me now anyway, Archer thought dryly as he opened the door. He towered over most men of average Japanese height and with his darkened skin, grey eyes and white hair he stood out among a crowd despite his decidedly Asian features. The restaurant was nearly empty except for the one Asian man in Fuyuki that would be taller than him.

Kotomine Kirei was sitting in a booth in the back, dressed in his full cassock despite the mid-July heat wave eating a giant plate of mapo tofu. Even at this distance Archer could see the sweat beading down the older man’s gaunt features as he ate the deadly, spicy concoction. As if Kotomine sensed him, the older man looked up, dark eyes fixing on Archer. The false priest smiled at Archer and made a languid gesture to the other side of the booth. Archer moved over to the priest and sat down, the burning spice already burning his nostrils.

“Servant Archer,” Kotomine said in his rolling, deep voice with a smile as he rested his white spoon against the dish. As a teenager, that voice both enraged him and puzzled him, but now that he was vastly older Archer felt a perverse fascination towards the false priest.

Archer replied, “Kotomine Kirei.”

“If it was any other Servant save for Gilgamesh or Lancer, I would ask how you knew where to find me,” Kotomine said with a smile as he picked up the spoon again. With a smile he asked, “Would you like to dine with me?”

Archer eyed the fiery mixture of bean curd and dangerous spices that almost seemed to be glowing from the white dish that Kotomine was eating. He felt as if he was a teenage boy again with the priest almost daring him to eat the insane food. Archer briefly wondered if Kotomine had somehow burned all of his taste buds eating the sludge. He inwardly shrugged, squared his shoulders and said, “Actually, yeah, and I would like some sake as well.”

“Oh? Well it’s a rare thing to have someone who wants to dine with me, especially here,” Kotomine said with a smirk as he lifted his hand up to signal the waiter over.

Archer replied, “Well I’m curious to see if this is as bad as Rin says it is.”

“I haven’t seen or heard from my student in a while. How is she?” Kotomine asked as the old Chinese man made his way over to them.

Archer shrugged and said, “I’m pretty sure she wants you dead. I don’t know, I moved away shortly after Lancer moved in with Rin.”

Kotomine’s eyes narrowed at that and Archer resisted the urge to snicker at the priest. The Chinese man made his way over to him and Kotomine opened his mouth to order, but Archer said in Chinese, “One mapo tofu with one bottle of sake.”

The old, rotund man blinked at Archer before scowling at him and nodding. Without another word, he shuffled away. Kotomine raised an eyebrow and said, “You don’t look Chinese, Archer.”

“I traveled a lot when I was alive,” was his reply as he calmly folded his hands on the table.

Kotomine said, “I’m still surprised that any of the participants of the War would seek me out.”

“I want answers,” Archer replied, “And since this is stuff about the Fourth War you’re the person I should ask.”

Kotomine smirked ever so slightly and asked, “Not Saber and Gilgamesh?”

“The answer to that one is obvious,” Archer said dryly as he looked at Kotomine. The other man chuckled ever so slightly before digging into the mapo tofu before him.

The priest paused to wipe a bit of sweat from his forehead and asked, “So what do you need to know?”

“I want to know about Matou Zouken,” Archer answered.

To his surprise, Kotomine actually scowled as his spoon hovered centimeters from the sludge in the bowl. “The vampire,” Kotomine said before looking up at Archer, something along the like of disgust lurking in normally unreadable eyes.

Archer’s eyes widened as he quietly asked, “He’s a Dead Apostle?”

“I’m surprised you even know what a Dead Apostle is, Servant Archer. You say that term to any of the other Servants and they would cant their head in confusion. Even Rider,” Kotomine said with one eyebrow raised as he looked at Archer, “Then again, you are the enigma. The one Servant that his true identity is unknown, even to him.”

Archer smirked and replied, “I know exactly who I am now, Kotomine Kirei.”

“Oh?” the priest asked as he tilted his head at Archer.

He nodded as the round Chinese man brought out the tofu, sake and sake cups. He held out one of the ceramic sake cups to Kotomine and he took it. Archer opened the bottle of rice wine and filled each cup full. He placed the bottle where Kotomine could easily grab it and stared at the food. He picked up the ceramic white spoon and brought the first bite to his lips.

[Elf]

Archer was an expert on pain. As a teenager he had forced a magic circuit in his body every night and it felt as if someone was shoving a hot rod into his spine. As an adult when he tried his first projection he practically lost his left arm. There were times when he used his Tracing abilities that caused swords to poke out of his body. He had overtaxed his body so much that he had burned his skin. Then there was a myriad of injuries he had withstood. And getting stabbed by the stupid Irish bastard.

However he nearly gagged when the first bit of spiced tofu hit his tongue. He swallowed quickly and grabbed the sake shot. He poured it down his mouth, swallowed and the intense inferno was quieted. He took a deep breath through his nose as he took another sip of sake just to cleanse the reactive spices. Kotomine was watching him with the slightest bit of a grin on his face, and knowing him, Archer was sure he was enjoying Archer’s suffering.

Archer whispered, “Trace On.” Then he Reinforced his tongue to keep the tofu from burning it and from him tasting it. He continued to eat and Kotomine simply shook his head before picking up his spoon again as well.

“I won’t ask you your identity, but why are you asking about Matou Zouken?” Kotomine asked before taking a sip of sake.

Archer smirked and answered, “I have been asked to take care of something and he’s heavily involved.”

“Is Rin aware of this?” Kotomine asked with a thoughtful expression.

Archer shook his head and said, “No, she’s not. If you end up telling her, I can deal with her.”


There was that slight chuckle again as Kotomine shook his head. He looked at the tofu and mused, “Zouken is a disgusting creature. Perhaps you should talk to ‘it’ as well.”

Archer stiffened at Kotomine’s words and glared at the priest. He replied, “It has a name. Her name is Ilya.”

“She will die soon,” Kotomine said matter-of-factly, his eyes meeting Archer’s and holding them.

Archer retorted, “No she won’t. She’s already found a way around that.”

“You seem quite close with it,” Kotomine said before taking another bite. Archer noticed that the platter was almost empty. He looked back at Kotomine before taking another bite himself.

“She housed my soul inside of her. It doesn’t get much closer than that,” Archer replied with a smirk.

Kotomine said, “That’s very true, Servant Archer. It’s no wonder you have an attachment to it as well.”

Archer knew that he was being baited so he took a deep breath and mentally focused on all of the swords he had in his records. In his mind he flashed through each one, their name, their composition, and their abilities as he said, “I’m surprised you’re not more attached to her. After all, she almost gave you exactly what you wanted.”

“And Emiya Shirou took that away,” Kotomine said with a shake of his head, “Yet in his folly we are both here.”

Archer snorted, “The boy’s a fool.”

“Is that what prompted you to attempt to kill him?” Kotomine asked as he scraped up the last bit of tofu in the dish.

Archer found himself smirking as he answered, “Partially.”

Kotomine did laugh at that before shaking his head and stating, “You are truly an interesting man, Servant Archer.”

“I want to know about Zouken,” Archer said as Kotomine was brought another platter of mapo tofu. Archer’s platter was still half full and he wasn’t in any hurry to eat the sludge.

The priest said, “He’s ancient, perhaps from the First Grail War. His form of mage craft is rather disgusting. What do you know of mage craft?”

“More than I’d like to admit,” Archer answered.

Kotomine’s eyebrow lifted again and asked, “Do you know about Magic Crests?”

“Yes, Rin has one. They are how most magi families pass down spells and family secrets, as well as other magical functions,” Archer answered, “They can also be painful.”

Kotomine nodded and said, “You should have learned that much from Rin. Well, the Matous use worms to use their magic. Disgusting, but effective.”

Archer steeled his expression so Kotomine couldn’t read him. Kotomine did look him over and his eyes flashed ever so slightly before he continued, “The worms are implanted in the body, and need to feed.”

“I take it they don’t eat normal food,” Archer said with a shake of his head.

Kotomine smirked and said, “No, they don’t. I don’t know the exact details, just Zouken is a rather disgusting man. Speaking as a former member of the Burial Agency, if he was dealt with . . .”

“What suffering would that cause?” Archer asked with a tiny smirk as he rested his spoon against the dish as he met Kotomine’s eyes, “What joy would his death bring you?”

Kotomine’s face spread out to a slight smile as he replied, “I do have my limits, Servant Archer. However, killing something that sought immortality that hard and denying him his wish is a joy all its own.”

Archer laughed at that and shook his head before looking back at Kotomine. He stood up and pulled out his wallet. He pulled out enough for the sake and his share of the tofu. He replied, “Well, I’ll let you know how this turns out then, Priest.”

“I hope you do. I look forward to it,” Kotomine said as he wiped more sweat off of his brow.

Archer stepped from the booth and said, “So do I.”

Ironically, he found himself meaning it.

******
“Onii-chan!”

Archer felt his face stretch in a smile as he opened up his arms and the snow fairy bounded right into him. He easily lifted the slight weight off of the ground and held her close. He stroked her long, silvery white hair and said, “Hello Ilya.”

Crimson eyes peered up at him as his adopted sister replied, “Hello Onii-chan. So, why did you come see Ilya?”

“Well, I wanted to talk to you,” Archer replied honestly as he held her close. He felt utterly at peace when he held Ilya von Eizenbern in his arms, a sort of serenity he only experienced in his lifetime and certainly not his afterlife. Part of him wanted to keep her to himself, but he knew that one couldn’t cage Ilya for too long. She had friends and family she had to visit, but she understood all too well that for the most part that family could not get along.

Ilya tapped her lower lip and sighed, “Well, I’ll guess I’ll talk to Onii-chan . . .”

“Oh, well, I should feel honored to gain audience with a snow fairy princess,” Archer retorted as he lightly danced his fingers against her ribs. Ilya squealed, bucked in his arms and squirmed. Archer smiled at the sight as he continued to tickle her as the delightful after rang through his ears. She squirmed enough where he finally set her feet down, but didn’t let up on the tickling.

Ilya’s cheeks were flushed as she waved her hands and said, “I can’t take anymore, Oni-chan! Stop it!”

“Yare, yare, you know it’s my duty as your oni-chan,” Archer said with a sigh and a shake of his head.

She grinned and said, “Well, that’s true, so I’ll let it pass.” Her small hand took his and he held it as they walked through the all too familiar castle. She looked up at him and asked, “So, what did you want to talk about?”

“We’ll get to that later. How are you?” Archer asked with a smile.

Ilya smiled and said, “I’m good. How are you? You know Ilya worries about you.”

“I’m fine. I promise. My business is doing very well,” Archer answered.

Ilya stopped and scowled up at him. Her free hand went to her slim hit as she retorted, “Then why don’t you talk to anyone? Why don’t you go out and do stuff? All you do is stay there and you come visit me. You have a second chance, Oni-chan. Don’t waste it brooding because Rin’s stupid.”

He chuckled at that and said, “I’m not pining over Rin.”

“Liar,” Ilya all but sank as she rocked back and forth on her feet.

He sighed and replied, “I’m not lying. I’m not pining over Rin.”

“Then why did you move out so quickly when Lancer moved in?” Ilya asked with a scowl.

Archer raised his eyebrows and retorted, “Well, would you want to hear Saber and Emiya Shirou doing . . .” He felt his cheeks flush and he looked away. He cleared his throat before looking back at her.

Ilya chuckled and finished, “No, I wouldn’t want to hear them having sex, Oni-chan.”

He stared at her, gulped and made a sound that sounded quite like, “Mughmumph.”

Ilya smiled up at him and laughed. She swung his hand back and forth and sang, “Oni-chan doesn’t like the fact that Ilya knows about bigggg badddd sex. Well, when I get into my new body, I’ll look my age and then both Oni-chans will be sorry.”

He swallowed and asked, “How is the body coming along?”

“Good, would you like to see it?” Ilya asked with a smile.

[Elf]

Archer swallowed again as he looked around. Unease crept around his spine and he felt his palms sweat. He sighed and ran his free hand through his hair. He answered, “Of course.”

Ilya bounced slightly, tugged on his hand and began to drag him to her work room. The Eizenbern Homunculi were famous around the magi community, and she could design a body that would look her natural age instead of being stuck as a twelve year old girl and dying a year from when the War was won. She had a long life a head of her filled with all the things she missed out as a teenager, including stuff like boys, parties, dating and other things Archer really didn’t want to think about.

I’m lucky Berserker’s here, he thought dryly as he looked around for the former Servant. There wasn’t a sign of him, but Archer knew that he was always near by. Then again, they were going deeper and deeper into Ilya’s workshop, and most sane people stayed away from that place. They walked through one of the castle’s many secret corridors until they reached the workroom. Ilya let go of his hand to open the door.

With various body parts swinging from the ceiling as well as tables upon tables of surgical tools, Archer had to admit that the work room looked more at home in a horror movie than a castle. He had to move body parts so they wouldn’t hit him as Ilya made her way to the giant sheet covered table. Archer’s eyes widened at the curves that were already very apparent through the sheet as Ilya whisked the cover away. He stared at the lovely white haired figure that looked as if it was asleep.

The limbs were long and lean, the stomach was firm with the slightest hint of muscle. The face could have been easily Ilya’s mirror if she was six years older. However the figure’s nippleless breasts were seemingly larger than Ilya’s head by half. He gestured to the mammoth chest and asked, “What the hell is that?”

“Aren’t they great?” Ilya asked as to more of his horror she leaned up and groped them. “Look how big they are!”

He swallowed and asked, “Are those . . . Es?”

“F’s,” Ilya all but chirped with a giant smile as she rocked back and forth on her heels.

He stared at them and then back at her. He asked, “Are you sure you want them that big?”

“Why not?” Ilya asked with a frown, “I thought guys liked girls built like this.”

A dim, fuzzy memory of Finnish blond perfection and plum eyes filled his mind. She had been perfectly curvy, but had surprisingly broad shoulders as well as sleek muscles hidden underneath her exquisite clothing. He pushed it away and looked at Ilya.

He honestly answered, “Ilya, not every man likes large . . . I mean, look at Saber.”

“Well, I’d figure that Shirou would like a nice change,” Ilya said with a scowl as she swayed back and forth.

He chuckled and said, “I think I would know that better than anyone.”

“So, smaller then?” Ilya asked with a cant of her head.

He swallowed, cleared his throat and answered, “Yes, like maybe a third of that size.”

“Well, I’d still be bigger than Rin . . .” Ilya said as she lightly tapped her lips. She nodded in satisfaction and said, “I’ll fix it this afternoon after tea then.”

Archer sighed and said, “Right.”

Ilya frowned up at him and took his hand. She sighed, looked up at him and asked, “What’s wrong, Oni-chan?”

“It’s not important,” he answered with a tiny smile that seemed forced.

She scowled and said, “I don’t like it when you lie to me.”

“It’s weird,” Archer confessed with a sigh as he looked away from her and back at the body on the table.

Ilya asked, “How so?”

“I’m just so used to seeing you like this, that’s all,” Archer answered with a shrug as he continued to hold her hand.

She smiled sweetly at him before gesturing him down to her level. He bent forward and she lightly pressed her small, white hand against his cheek. She said, “Oni-chan, I don’t want you to lose Ilya again, even though I’m different than your Ilya, I know you still love me, and that makes me happy. I love you too, but you should be happy that I get to grow up and experience all the stuff that the other Ilya didn’t.”

“Part of me wants to keep you like this forever,” he said as he closed his eyes and leaned slightly into her palm. He rested his free hand over it and inhaled her delicate violet scent. He felt a soft press of silken pressure against his forehead before he felt Ilya back away slightly, but still holding onto his face.

She whispered, “Everyone needs to move on, Oni-chan. Even you. If you don’t change, you’ll grow stagnant and rot away.”

Archer smiled at that and opened his eyes. He let go of her hands to hug her close in this macabre room full of body parts. Hair like fine silk cascaded against his rough hand as he stroked her head. Slim arms held him fiercely as Ilya pillowed her head against his shoulder. Her small hands clutched at his shirt as she said, “You’ll find some place to fit soon, Oni-chan.”

It never ceased to amaze Archer just how much this small girl could disarm him; he who’s body was made of blades. He could be himself with Ilya and forget about being rejected for that drunken Irish bastard or having to avoid a woman who he thought of as a big sister’s highly clumsy advances simply because he reminded her of his father. Which is ironic, isn’t it? Archer thought to himself as he easily lifted Ilya up to head out her work room.

Ilya chuckled and said in a lilting voice, “You really don’t like going in there, do you?”

“Not really,” he drawled as he grinned at her.

She canted her head, sighed and said, “Well, suppose since you’re carrying me I won’t mind.”

“I didn’t think you would,” Archer said with a tiny smirk as he took her towards the kitchen. He had brought with him a few taykiakis as well as Ilya’s favorite tea. He knew she’d be delighted at the treat because Sella never truly let Ilya indulge in sweets. Leysritt was another story, but Sella ruled her with an iron fist as well.

Once they were in the kitchen he sat her on one of the stools as he began to prepare the tea. He set the kettle of water to boil before moving to the tea pot and putting the loose leaves in. Ilya rested her elbows on the counter and leaned forward on her hands, watching him with wide crimson eyes. “You’re really good at that, Oni-chan,” she said as he moved to get out the rest of the tea set so they could drink together.

He smirked and said, “Lots of practice.”

“For Rin?” Ilya asked as she looked at the paper bag that held their treats.

He sighed, looked down at the tea pot and said, “Once, yeah.”

“You weren’t with her in life though,” Ilya said with a tilt of her head, “What about that Viking girl you were with?”

Archer gripped his fists as he could hear the soft chuckle and that melodic voice that always mispronounced his name but he never minded. Luvia had stood by his side as long as she could have, until her father pulled her forcibly away from his “influence”. After that he had thrown himself into saving as many as he could and separated himself from the one person who had tried to save him from his folly and he’d been too stupid to listen.

He had been torn between the two rivals, but had ended up with Luvia by some twist of fate. He had a feeling if he had been with Rin he wouldn’t have been at Ilya’s right now making tea. He would have never become a Guardian at all, but he moved fast enough that not even Rin could keep up.

Archer wondered if every time he’d been summoned by various Rins in his existence if he always felt the thrill of seeing her. He wondered if there had been versions who had abandoned the quest to end their existence to stay with her or to save her. He wondered how many times he had betrayed her. It was just a conflicting mess, but he did know whenever he did see Rin there was always a bittersweet pang of wanting something he wasn’t worthy of having.

He smiled and replied, “Luvia, there was too much keeping us apart. She was a princess and I was a peasant with a sword. Her father was too powerful . . .”

“Why don’t you go find her?” Ilya asked with smile.

He laughed at that and said, “Part of the attraction was that I was very simple, almost normal. Now . . . well, not so much.”

Ilya sighed and said, “Well, at least you won’t make a stupid mistake with Rin.” She grinned deviously as she looked up at him. She asked, “What about Taiga? She really wants you, Oni-chan.”

“ . . . No,” was his only response as he shook his head with a sigh. He looked at the giggling snow fairy perched on the stool and reached out to poke her nose. Her face scrunched up like a startled rabbit’s as she shook her head, giggled and backed away. Archer asked, “Why are you so interested in my love life or rather lack there of?”

“Well, other than Berserker and me, you’re the only one who’s not with someone,” Ilya replied, “I just want to see you happy, that’s all. Well, I have to approve of her too. I don’t approve of Rin. She can keep Lancer, you can do better than her.”

Archer laughed and asked, “What about Bazett?”

“Didn’t she go back to Ireland? She dressed like a man anyway,” Ilya said with a dismissive snort and a wave of her hand.

Archer grinned and said, “Well, I thought she was rather attractive myself . . .”

[Elf]

“No you don’t,” Ilya replied, “And Taiga’s all wrong for you too . . . Well, don’t worry, we’ll find you someone.”

He sighed and said, “Ilya, I’m not looking for anyone.” Rin didn’t want someone damaged like me.

Ilya shrugged and said, “You’ll just wait and see, Oni-chan. You’ll just wait and see.”

The whistle on the kettle began to blow and Archer smoothly moved over to it. He pulled the kettle off the flame and poured the boiling water into the tea pot. He smiled at the fragrant steam that bellowed up from the tea pot and filled the kitchen. He sighed blissfully before putting the teakettle back and grabbed the sugar and cream for the tea. Ilya rubbed her hands and eyed the tea pot with a smile before grinning up at him and pointing at the bag. With a laugh, Archer reached over and handed it to her.

“Yay!” Ilya exclaimed as she pulled out a fish shaped pastry and placed it on a little plate.

Archer pointed at her and said, “I get the red bean paste one.”

“You can have that one, I want the chocolate one,” Ilya said with a smile, “Or did you bring a custard one for me today?”

He grinned and replied, “Well, we’ll have to see won’t we?”

She giggled at that and eyed the tea pot again. Archer checked it and poured them each a cup of tea. He added sugar and cream of a respectable amount to Ilya’s because if he left her to her own devices she’d pour the entire bowl of sugar into her tea cup. He added a miniscule amount of sugar to his as well as a dollop of cream. He looked at the beige liquid thoughtfully before looking up at Ilya.

They chatted amiably as they drank tea and ate their treats, and Archer couldn’t bring himself to ask about Zouken. His time with Ilya like this was the one thing he treasured in this new “life”. Everything else seemed like he was going through the motions, surviving like an animal because he honestly didn’t know where to go or what to do. There was no real satisfaction in his job, it was just something he was good at and he had no real friends or family, but he was surrounded by people who were versions that were people he cared about and loved, yet he couldn’t speak to them.

He traded one hell for another, the only salvation was the white haired girl before him.

For a moment his mind flashed to a priest eating hellishly spicy Tofu and smirking at him. That short while last night he had perversely enjoyed talking to the man who was as empty as he was. Despite the fact that Kotomine wanted to unleash Hell on Earth, Archer found himself drawn to the man. He had a feeling that despite common sense he would find himself looking for Kotomine soon.

Ilya looked up at him and asked, “Oni-chan, what did you really want to talk to Ilya about?”

“What do you mean?” Archer asked as he looked at her.

She sighed and said, “You’re good at lying to everyone else, but I know you better than everyone else too, Oni-chan. You wanted to ask me something that you think is going to be unpleasant.”

Archer sighed and ran a hand through the white spikes of his hair. He looked away and answered, “Rider came to me asking me to help her save Sakura. I’ve found things out about Zouken . . .”

“Ah, silly Makari,” Ilya said with a tiny smile and a shake of her head. Her expression sobered and she said, “Yes. Sakura could become another Grail.”

******

The girl was breaking.

It was a sad thing, really, but not entirely unwelcome. Even though the ancient magus did not get his wish at the end of the Fifth War, he still had his trump card. The remainder of the Grail from the Fourth War was still inside of her and with proper tampering Makari Zouken was confidant he could turn his granddaughter into another Grail. The Association had sent one of their leading magi to dismantle the Grail system, but he had failed to see Sakura and there was a magus who was one of the original founders of the Holy Grail War.

The paradoxical miracle of the Fifth War had brought dead Masters back to life and granted the Servants chances at life again as humans or whatever their original race was. So Fuyuki City was now home to demi-gods and creatures of legend, and the population was none the wiser. From Zouken’s knowledge most of the Servants were happily ingraining themselves into mundane life, like the Rider Servant they had used. Even though the former Servant was meddlesome, Zouken wasn’t afraid of her as long as he had his control over Sakura.

One side effect of the miracle was that the boy Sakura had been so infatuated over, the prodigal son of Emiya, had fallen in love with his Servant. The two of them lived together and Sakura now only left the house for school. She didn’t visit the boy anymore, and while that break in her spirit was troublesome at first, Zouken was nothing if adaptable. He would go to his original plan to use her as the Grail for a later date and one of her and hopefully Shinji’s offspring, unless he found a more suitable donor for genetic material, to be the Master in that war.

Right now he would bide his time and let his false Grail fill with mana over the years. Once the girl had graduated from High School it wouldn’t bore any unwanted questions if she became pregnant. However due to the worms he had implanted inside of her, impregnating her was going to be difficult. Still, he had several years before he had to worry about that. His estimate was that the Grail within Sakura would be ready to use within sixty years unless she had a giant increase of mana pour into her to quicken the process.

Unfortunately, Zouken didn’t know of a source where he could speed up the process. He did have time though and he would thoroughly look into his options. Then he would eventually get what he had waited so long for. He looked down at his weathered hands and then back at the nude girl biting her lip to keep from writhing in the mass of worms surrounding her.

Maintaining his form became harder and harder each time he had to feed. If push came to shove, he would over take the girl. She might fight him at first, but he was confidant that he could shut her down as well.

After all, with the Emiya boy happily taken, what did she have to fight for now?

******

[Elf]

I want to die.

Matou Sakura looked down from her pale reflection as she turned on the shower. She grimaced at the thin trails of mucus covering the ample curves her body and cursed. Her core still ached and quivered from the latest round of training and her body was painfully sensitive. Still, she wanted to wash herself as clean as she could even though she would just end up like this again and again.

Steam began to fog up the mirror and she looked at her distorted reflection.

Her dirty, distorted reflection.

She bit her lip to keep the tears from falling. There was no one to hear her cries now. Nee-san had forgotten about her long ago. Sempai found someone who was good enough for him and wasn’t stained like she was. He had found someone as pure and good as he was, and she was happy for them. After all, Sempai deserved a gallant knight to save him as well.

She had said good bye to her long love in her heart after she had seen him return holding the petite blond girl’s hand. Their eyes had only seen one and another, and Sakura knew she’d be soon forgotten. It was for the best anyway, Sempai didn’t need to be burdened with someone like her.

Sakura knew now that no one would ever save her, not even Rider. She accepted that, but yet she cursed her cowardice for not killing herself. She knew she could end the shame, the pain, and the torment easily, but the thought of taking her own life terrified her so much she would break out into a cold sweat. There was still some part of her that raged, that yelled that she had every right to live and be happy that everyone else did.

She pulled the dark pink ribbon from her hair and carefully laid it on the sink. She then proceeded to step in the scalding hot shower. The first thing she did was wash off with harsh, anti-bacterial soap that smelled like hospital disinfectant with a pumice scrub. She would scrub her skin so much that it would match the color of her ribbon. Then she would wash her hair and then her body again with the floral soap that Shinji insisted that she used.

It was cloying and thick, and it made her feel like some sort of cheap whore. She hated the soap. Part of her wanted to throw it at Shinji, but she could never do that. So she used the soft, heavily perfumed soap and shampoo because that was what she was told to do. Besides, it wasn’t Shinji’s fault that he was denied his family’s heritage. She had taken that away and she felt sorry for him feeling so worthless, even when he hurt her.

Once she was clean she stepped out of the shower and dried off. She dressed and retied the ribbon in her hair. Then with a sigh she went to the room that served as her bedroom when she wasn’t training, even though that was mostly for appearances. She sighed in relief as she realized that Shinji had a date that evening with the new foreign exchange student from America.

Even though the filthy things inside of her would demand attention, she hated it when he came to her. She hated the way he made her respond. She hated the way he forced her to beg for him. She hated that no matter how much her mind said no, her body pushed her father and farther into depravity.

Most of all she hated that there was no end in sight for her.

Still, Sempai is happy, that’s what matters, she thought to herself as she squared her shoulders. She sat down at her desk and stared at the book that Rider had brought for her to read. She wished that her former Servant wouldn’t visit her. She didn’t want Rider to see her like this and didn’t want her to worry.

And seeing Rider gave her false hope that there was someone that could help her.

Sakura knew that despite how powerful Rider was there was nothing she could do against her Grandfather. There was no way to safely remove what he had implanted in her and she knew with a thought he could easily make her his puppet. To keep her free will, Sakura had to willingly submit.

Even though each time she did now without clinging onto caring for Sempai like a lifeline a part of her free will died anyway.

******
That night, Archer was leaping from rooftop to rooftop, feeling a little like a superhero in one of those American comic books. One interesting side effect was that he still had his Servant’s abilities such as being able to all but fly with high jumps and being able to take the impact of the landing. It was dark enough and he was dressed in black to keep from being seen, besides the area of town he was in wasn’t exactly what one would call crowded at this time of night.

He was leaping from rooftop to rooftop to try to clear his head. He had tried everything else. He had tried meditation. He had tried Tracing various swords. He had cleaned his shop and reorganized his paperwork twice. He had finished all of the jobs he had lined up days a head, but none of this was helping.

“Zouken placed part of the previous Grail inside of Sakura.”

His conversation with Ilya still rang through his ears. Despite the fact that the Greater Grail had been dismantled by the representative from the Association, Archer was certain that with enough time Zouken could create a system like it. Or worse, release Angra Mainyu instead, he thought grimly as he soared into the air before landing on another rooftop. He stood there as he let the cool night air at this height whip through his hair and the T-shirt he was wearing.

He felt a dull throb at the back of his temples and rubbed his forehead. He sighed as he looked at the skyline around him. If he reinforced his eyes he could practically look into people’s houses and reiterate all the details. With all of his abilities though he was unsure of what to do.

The logical thing would be to kill the whole Matou family to keep this from happening.

However, Sakura was a victim. She had a right to be saved as much as anyone else did. Archer frowned as he looked at the both alien and familiar city around him. He thought he had put past him the whole idea of being an ally for justice, but someone had asked him for help because the person who need help couldn’t. He had enough innocent blood on his hands from his afterlife, and he certainly didn’t want to add a former friend’s who happened to be the lost sister of the girl he still wasn’t sure how he felt about.

I should put together what I have and see what I can do. Zouken implants his crest through a series of worms. From what Ilya said he put part of the Fourth War’s Grail in her as well through said worms. Also, the old monster’s been keeping himself alive for centuries with these worms as well. It’s possible that he could control Sakura with those worms, and who knows what damage they’ve done to her physiology as well.

[Elf]

Archer looked down at his bronze arm and clinched his fist. He knew all too well about the changes magic could wreck havoc with one’s body to the point where it would make someone unrecognizable. He briefly wondered if Sakura had originally shared Rin’s raven hair and aquamarine eyes before the Matous gotten their hands on her and did what they did. If he hadn’t seen the matching pink ribbon in Rin’s room or noticed how she watched after Sakura, he would have never have thought that Matou Sakura should have been Tohsaka Sakura.

Rider had wanted him to save Sakura, and that would require him killing Zouken at the very least. From what he had gathered, killing Zouken wouldn’t be a problem. Just figuring out what to do with Shinji and Sakura afterwards was what was going to be troublesome. He also knew that, honestly, he would have no qualms about killing Shinji either.

That’s not my problem, Archer thought. However, I need straight answers now. Archer turned and jumped from his post, heading down to a familiar area of town. He’d been there on a few errands for Fujimura-domo, and despite it wasn’t a night for what usually happened there he was confidant to get answers. He landed as he saw a sleek, black racing motorcycle and more importantly the long lavender hair whipping behind it like a banner.

He landed right in front of the bike and Rider slammed on her breaks, angled the bike so it stopped centimeters in front of him. She flipped up her visor, looked away from him, pulled off her glasses, took off the helmet and smoothly put her glasses back on. She glared at him from underneath the white beryl lenses and snapped, “What the hell are you doing, Archer?”

“I want answers,” Archer replied with a smirk as he folded his arms over his chest.

Rider flushed ever so slightly, looked away and said, “Like I told you before, it’s not your business.”

“If Zouken can turn Sakura into all the world’s evil, it’s fucking sure my business,” Archer retorted.

Rider’s alien eyes widened as she looked at him and then she looked down at her helmet. She absently traced one blunt finger nail over the violet pattern in the helmet before looking back at him. She whispered, “I wasn’t aware of that.”

“Well, I’ve done a lot of research because the person who asked me for help was so damned closed lipped about everything. I understand wanting to protect Sakura, but if you want my help Rider, I need to know everything that you do so I don’t jeopardize her,” Archer replied as he looked at her.

She sighed and tilted her head back before shrugging her shoulders. She then looked back at him and said, “It’s . . . I don’t want you telling anyone. Especially that girl.”

“Rider, who else do I talk to?” Archer asked with a shake of his head and a sigh.

She frowned and asked, “Don’t you still talk to her?”

“I talk to Ilya, but . . .” he sighed and rubbed his forehead, “You mean Rin.”

“She lost her rights as sister long ago when she abandoned Sakura,” Rider said with a scowl as she folded her arms under her ample breasts.

Archer rolled his eyes up and despite the orange haze blanketing the sky, he could still make out all of the stars above him if he had been in the country. He said, “It’s up to Rin and Sakura if they want to repair their relationship, Rider. Not you. Frankly, I don’t give a damn. Right now I want to know what is going on so I know what I’m walking into when I rescue her.”

Rider sighed and asked, “What do you know?”

“I know that the Matou crest is passed on through a series of worms and apparently he implanted parts of the previous Grail and its contents inside of her,” Archer answered with a shrug.

Rider’s alien eyes narrowed as she asked, “Do you know what those . . . things make her do? How they tortured her, day after day? How the worms need to feed?”

He did not reply and simply waited for her to continue. She sighed and rubbed her forehead. She said, “They kill men eventually by devouring the spinal cord, but women . . . apparently they’re more compatible with women. They’re also called lude worms as well. They crave sexual energy, and the semen from a magus. When a magus is not available, anyone will do.” Rider closed her eyes.

An old memory flashed through Archer’s mind. Sakura as a teenage girl with a bruise on her cheek, the bruises on her wrists and how she always hid herself. His hands made a fist as he simply said, “Shinji.”

“Also, Zouken has contingency plans. He is so old because he transfers his soul into the body of those worms,” Rider explained.

Archer sighed and cursed, “Well, goddamn it, that means he could possess Sakura.”

“Yes, not only was she raped, violated by unnatural things, and cannot even have a will of her own and if she tries he can take her over,” Rider said.

Archer said nothing but simply stared at the Gorgon as she looked away from him. She said, “I will not have you judging Sakura.”

“I won’t” Archer replied, his voice hoarse even for him. He clinched his fists at his side and let them go. He cursed himself, he cursed the alternate version of his younger self, he cursed Saber, he cursed Rin, he cursed Shinji and he cursed magi in general. He sighed and said, “Yare, yare, this isn’t going to be easy.”

“That’s why I went to you,” Rider said in a soft voice, “Because you seem to go above and beyond what you should be able to do.”

Archer snorted and felt his lips quirk up in a crooked grin as he replied, “Because I cheat.”

“Well, I need that to get Sakura away from them,” Rider said with a sigh and a shake of her head, “But I don’t know what to do with those worms, if they can bring what you claim . . .”

“We need to get them out of her, and isolate Zouken’s worm,” Archer said with a shrug.

Rider looked at him with those eerily beautiful eyes and asked, “And how do we do that without killing her?”

“I have something I want to try. However, I may need some back up on this,” Archer said as he looked steadily at her.

Rider swallowed and asked, “Who would that be?”

“Well, for Zouken, I know who’d be perfect for dealing with him. As for Sakura, I need to look into something first,” Archer replied as he looked down at his chest. He wasn’t sure if he could do it, and he wanted to test it first. If his fake didn’t work, at least he knew how to get his hands on the real one.

Rider nodded and looked away. Archer watched as she took off her glasses, put her helmet back on, put the glasses back on and then slid the visor down. She said, “Once you get things figured out, I need to know.”

He nodded then asked, “And Shinji?”

“What about him?” Rider asked.

Archer smirked and said, “Zouken’s going to get exactly what’s coming to him. I want to make sure Shinji does the same.”

He saw Rider’s lilac eyes light up from even behind the visor and the glasses and her cheek bones lift. He couldn’t actually see her smile due to the helmet covering almost half of her face, but it was obvious to anyone who knew her she was smiling. “You are rather interesting, Archer,” she said before the blare of the motor revved up, killing any reply.

Archer watched her spin the bike around and rapidly disappears into the night. He sighed and asked the sky, “What does this make me? Someone who’s cleaning up a mess before it starts, or someone who’s correcting everyone else’s errors?”

He snorted to himself as he did not get an answer.

[Elf]

Ryudou Issei sighed as he started down the temple steps. It wasn’t even noon yet but he felt his shirt already sticking to his skin and beads of sweat already running down his back. He rubbed his forehead and adjusted his glasses to see a tall figure heading up the steps. He frowned as he took off his glasses to wipe them off with a handkerchief to remove the sweat from them before sliding them back into place.

He didn’t recognize the tall, broad shouldered man dressed in head to toe black heading up the steps, but there was something familiar about him that Issei couldn’t put his finger on. The perfect posture, the squared shoulders, but the man’s hands casually stuck in his pockets was something all too familiar. Issei shook off the déjà vu as the white haired man stopped at the step that Issei was standing on.

The man smiled, his eyes closing slightly and the expression tightened Issei’s chest. He felt his cheeks warm up in a way that only had to do with one other person that he would never confess to. He quickly looked away from the man’s handsome face, cleared his throat and said, “Ah, may I help you?”

“Yes actually. I’m looking for Kuzuki-sensei’s fiancé Caster,” the white haired man replied with a smile.

Issei blinked up at the tall man and asked, “You know Caster?”

“Yes, we worked together, just . . . It’s been a long time since I’ve been here and I don’t know where she’d be,” the white haired man replied as he looked awkwardly around the temple.

Issei felt his cheeks burn even more as he pushed his glasses more firmly on his nose. He said, “Ah, well, I’d be happy to take you to her then. I’m Ruyudo Issei.” He bowed slightly before looking at him with a smile.

The man in black bowed as well and said, “I’m Archer, thank you.”

The two of them started to head back up the steps and Issei asked, “So, are you from Fuyuki then?”

“Actually yes I am. It’s been a while since I’ve lived here though,” Archer answered as he slid his hands back into his pockets.

Issei asked, “So are you visiting?”

“I’m actually living here. I own the repair shop by Shinto,” Archer replied.

Issei’s eyes went wide as he looked up at the bronze skinned man. He placed his hand over his mouth and said, “You’re that Archer-san?”

“I guess?” Archer said with a small, lopsided smile.

They were right, Issei thought as he thought about the giggling girls in the Student Council who kept finding things that were broken at school to take to have repaired. He was a little sad because it meant that he couldn’t spend as much time as usual with Emiya Shirou because there wasn’t as much to fix as usual. However looking at Archer now, Issei could easily see why those girls scour the school grounds for things in need of repair. Issei simply said, “I see.”

Archer smiled at him and said, “So, are you training to be a monk?”

“Yes, hopefully after High School I can finish my training,” Issei said with a smile.

Archer frowned and said, “It’ll be a shame to shave all of that hair.”

“That’s what Caster keeps telling me,” Issei admitted with a shake of his head.

The older man looked at him and said, “Just don’t deny your feelings.”

“What do you mean?” Issei asked with a frown.

Archer answered, “Nothing, just remember that.” Then, with a smile, Archer headed up the steps in a steady lope, leaving Issei behind.

[Elf]

Archer quietly moved past the monks’ quarters to the quasi-apartment set up for Kuzuki and his “bride” to be. He knocked on the wood frame of the paper door and a moment later the door slid open and a head of long, periwinkle hair with pointed ears poked out. Eyes a shade darker and a tad more violet than the woman’s hair flickered around as she muttered, “It’s too early for Issei to be back . . .”

“Well, I’m not Issei,” Archer drawled as he watched the ancient witch’s eyes widen and she looked up at him.

The Ancient Greek witch Media stared up at him and took a shaking step back before her eyes narrowed at him. She clinched her right hand into a fist as she glared at him. “Archer,” she said in a low voice as she flexed open her hand and her lips began to move.

He smoothly moved up and clasped her mouth. “Now, it’s not a good time to be throwing divine words,” he said as he let her go, “And if I was going to kill you, I wouldn’t have politely knocked at the door.”

“Your record on being trustworthy isn’t favorable, Servant Archer,” Caster said as she folded her arms under her ample breasts. His eyes traveled up her form as he took note she wasn’t wearing her robes but a black tank top and a long, soft white skirt. She looked more like a young woman waiting for her lover to return home than a dangerous witch.

Archer smirked and retorted, “Well, I see you’re adjusting well, Caster.”

“Unlike you. So, how is your little former Master and her big, strong Irishman?” Caster asked with a tiny grin as her eyes gleamed maliciously.

He gritted his teeth and replied, “I wouldn’t know.”

“I know what it’s like to be rejected, and it’s not a pleasant thing,” Caster said with a smile as she stepped back into the apartment. However her eyes darted around him before locking on his form again. Her whole body was tense despite her flippant words. “Now, what are you doing here?”

Archer smiled slightly and replied, “You’re nervous.”

“Considering the last time we met at any length of time you betrayed me and riddled me through with swords,” Caster said with a snort, “Especially after all I did for you.”

He replied, “Well, we were at war, and you were endangering both Rin and Saber. You were just a means to an end anyway.”

“Since the boy brought us all back to life, I would safely assume that you failed on that regard,” Caster continued as her smile narrowed at him and she tapped one finger with its finely manicured delicate pink nail against her full lips.

Archer shrugged and said, “Not exactly. We came to an agreement that mutually benefited everyone. Including your Souichirou-sama.”

“Don’t you dare speak his name like that,” Caster hissed as she started to extend her hand towards him.

He replied, “You do.”

“I have my reasons,” Caster replied as a pretty pink flush stained her features, “What are you doing darkening my doorstep anyway?” She tossed her hair back as she stared at him with a small frown.

Archer smiled and answered, “I need your help.”

“No,” Caster said with a shake of her head.

He asked, “And why not?”

“Ah, let’s see, because you betrayed and killed me,” Caster retorted with her hands on her hips.

Archer shrugged and said, “And don’t forget Kuzuki.”

Caster’s eyes widened at that as she simply stared up at him. Her whole being shook as she stared at him. She gritted her teeth and then her hand came up. She swung with all of her might but Archer already saw the tell of her body.

While she was able to run circles around him magically, Archer was still physically stronger, faster and smarter than her. His hand caught her wrists several centimeters from his face as he grinned down at her. He said, “It was in self defense after all. If he would’ve retreated instead of trying to avenge your death, he wouldn’t have needed to be resurrected with the rest of us. Not that you have room to talk, Medea.”

She stared up at him before looking down. She bit her lip and asked, “Souichirou-sama attacked you even though he wasn’t reinforced? To avenge me?”

“It was ridiculously romantic,” Archer said with a snort as he dropped her hand.

She flushed even more and tucked her small braid of periwinkle hair behind one of her pointed ears. She hissed, “I should kill you.”

Archer’s nostrils twitched as he smelled the familiar smell of miso burning. He turned to her and dryly asked, “Is that miso burning?”

“Oh no,” Caster said as her eyes widened and she turned sharply on her heels. She almost stumbled as she ran towards the kitchen area of the living quarters. Chuckling to himself, Archer followed her to the kitchen as she took the ruined tofu mixture from the stove. She groaned and her shoulders slumped as she put it in the sink. “Not again,” she moaned with a shake of her head.

Archer asked, “Problems?”

“Like you know anything about cooking,” she snapped, “And why are you still here anyway?”

Archer smirked and replied, “Because I need your help.”

“Why should I help you?” Caster asked with narrowed eyes.

“Because I can give you access to a form of mage craft that has kept a soul alive for almost five hundred years,” Archer answered.

She snorted, “I don’t care about that, Archer.”

“You just want to live a normal life with Kuzuki,” Archer said as he shook his head.

She glared at him and said, “You’re still here.”

“Yes, and I’m going to be here until you agree to help me,” Archer said calmly as he sat down on the floor Japanese style.

Caster’s cheeks flushed as she snapped, “You’re going to leave if I have to drag your ass out of here.”

“Drag my ass out of here? Wow, I’m surprised that a princess and relative of the gods knows such coarse language,” Archer said with a sly grin.

.The flush spread from her cheeks to the tips of her ears as she placed her hands on her hips and said, “You are vexing.”

Archer smiled and said, “You’d better scrape the tofu out of that pan before it congeals again.”

“I know that,” Caster all but yelled at him before turning back to clean up the mess.

For the next hour, Archer watched her attempt twice to cook the miso, and each time she burned the soup. The third time he started giving her hints and suggestions, which only flustered her even more. She finally screamed, threw up her hands and spun around to face him where he was sitting. “What is it going to take to make you leave?!” she screamed at him.

Archer looked around and said, “Be any louder and you’re going to get some unwanted attention.”

“Yes, and you’re the one here who’s not wanted,” Caster snapped at him as she pointed at him.

He shrugged and replied, “I think I can convince Issei to letting me stay.”

“You wouldn’t,” Caster said as she narrowed her eyes at him.

His smirk spread into a grin as he replied, “I would and could.”

“Fine, tell me what you need my help with and we can go on from there,” Caster said with a sigh as her shoulders slumped.

Archer felt his face fell as he answered, “I need your help to save a girl who’s been tortured and raped since she was seven years old.”

“You’re . . . not kidding,” Caster said in a small voice as her hands went to her mouth, “By the gods, who would do such a thing?”

“The magus who in control of the mage craft I just described to you,” Archer replied, “I figure you can experiment on his body. The more painfully the better.”

Caster did smile at that and said, “Why Archer, despite your brutality, I had no idea your tastes ran that way. Here I thought you were too much like the boy.”

“I am, but sometimes Justice needs to be painful,” Archer replied as he met her eyes, “So, are you in?”

Caster replied, “I’ll help you on one condition.”

“I’ll teach you how to cook,” Archer replied with a dark grin.

She turned colors again and said, “Fine, now would you please leave?”

“Give Issei my regards,” Archer replied as he stood up to leave the quarters.

[Elf]

Sakura had just finished getting dressed as she heard a familiar knock on the door. She froze as she looked around, hoping Shinji was here to answer the door. However, he was out with the American exchange student again leaving her alone with Grandfather. Sighing, she smoothed out her hair and skirt before heading for the door. She braced her shoulders and opened the door only to freeze.

Standing at the doorway were the two people she wanted to see the least. Emiya Shirou smiled at her, his golden-brown eyes closing at the expression and the petite blond foreigner that was formerly his Servant and currently his lover standing beside him smiled as well. She forced a smile on her face and said, “Hello, Sempai.”

“We are concerned about you, Sakura. It has been quite some time since you have dined with us,” Saber said.

Shirou continued to smile as he said, “The house hasn’t been the same without you, and Fuji-nee is really starting to miss your cooking. Plus if she brings home this mystery guy that works for her Grandfather over, we could really use you there for support.”

Sakura’s hands clinched into fists at her sides as she stared at the happy, clueless couple. She looked down and said in a soft voice, “I’m sorry, I’ve been busy.”

“Wait, has Shinji hurt you again?” Shirou asked as he moved towards her, his brilliant eyes bright.

He peered down at her and she took a step back from him. She smiled and said, “No, everything has been fine with Nii-san. He’s been dating the new American exchange student. I’ve just been busy with the Archery Club. Apparently some of the other First Years managed to break some of the bows and I’ve been helping Mitzuzuri-taicho with them.” The lie tasted bitter even to her, but it was a partial truth at least. There were several bows damaged by the First Years, but Taiga-sensei had taken them to the new repair shop that was ran by an Archer-san that had to be one of the former Servants.

Saber frowned slightly and said, “We just want to make sure you are treated well, Sakura. You are our friend.” The blond smiled at the last part, transforming her whole face and making it radiant. Sakura swallowed and resisted the urge to run into the house and hide from the spectacle of the happy couple.

Sakura smiled back and Shirou frowned at her. He asked, “Are you sure everything’s okay, Sakura?”

“Everything is fine, Sempai,” Sakura said with a tiny bow.

Saber reached out and rested her small hand over Sakura’s wrist. She stared down at the tiny hand and wondered how such a small girl could have been the most powerful Servant and if she still carried her power reborn. Or was she just a small girl with a big sword? Brilliant emerald eyes met hers as Saber said, “You know you are always welcome at our home. If there is any trouble here, please come to us no matter how great or small.”

Sakura bit her lip as she was torn from wanting to slap the girl or fall to her knees and tell them every horror her grandfather had inflicted upon her. To tell them how she screamed for her Nee-san and how Rin never came to save her. Instead she smiled and said, “I will be over tomorrow to help with dinner then.”

“Good, I could use some competition,” Shirou said with a warm smile that made her chest ache.

Sakura nodded and Saber asked, “Would you like to come shopping with us? You could help pick out what you and Shirou are going to cook tomorrow.”

Sakura swallowed and looked behind her shoulder at the dark house behind her. Shirou smiled and said, “Come on, Sakura, we could really use your help.”

Sakura smiled and said, “Just give me one moment to grab my purse and I’ll be right there.” With that she ran into the house and rubbed her forehead. She realized that she had ran up the steps and could look at the couple standing on the doorstep. Her shoulders slumped and her chest tightened at the sight of them. As she watched, Shirou intertwined his arm with Saber’s and leaned down to lightly kiss the crown of her head.

She bowed her head as she wondered what it would have been like to hold his hand and have him kiss her head like that. She shook her head as she grabbed her purse from her room and slid it over her shoulder. Grandfather was asleep right now due to the sun being so high in the sky, so she could easily leave the house and be back before Shinji came home and Grandfather woke up. She ran down the steps, slid into her shoes and joined the happy couple in the sunlight. As she locked up, she took one look into the gloomy atmosphere that she would have to return to and sighed.

“Something wrong, Sakura?”

She smiled and said, “Not at all, Sempai.” More than you know.

[Elf]

Sakura was at the fish market with Saber and Shirou, with Saber haggling with the shopkeeper to get the price down for some scallops for dinner tomorrow. She was standing under the awning of the store, but yet she felt the heat crawl and dig under her skin. Her throat was parched and she felt her vision blurring. She felt the familiar flush spread through her as well as her body clinch in need.

She placed a hand over her stomach as she looked around and shifted her weight. She shrugged her heavy shoulders and swallowed only to have Shirou look at her. He asked, “Sakura, are you okay?”

“I’m fine, Sempai,” she said in a soft voice as she straightened to her full height. She felt the things within her growl in need as she realized she hadn’t been with Shinji in days, that he had been so preoccupied with the American that he had forgotten her. She loathed his visits, but it kept them at bay. She knew soon enough she wouldn’t be able to stand and her body would be flushed with shameless pleasure and need.

Saber turned to them and frowned. “You are flushed, Sakura. Are you sure you are not ill?”

“I’m fine, Saber,” Sakura said between gritted teeth as she forced herself to smile.

Shirou asked, “Do you want us to take you home?”

“I’m fine. I promise. I’ll take some medicine when I get home, it’s probably nothing but a summer cold,” Sakura said with a wave of her hand as she turned back towards the fish.

She pointed and said in a light voice, “This tuna looks good, Sempai. Do you think you could make us some sushi tomorrow as well?”

“That’s a good idea Sakura. I have this really good rice that we bought last week that I still need to use the rest of. Let me get some seaweed and spices and we can have both Japanese and Western food tomorrow,” Shirou said with a smile as he began to look at the tuna.

Saber’s eyes lit up as she clasped her hands together. She asked, “We are having both Japanese and Western food tomorrow?”

“Of course,” Sakura said with a chuckle, “I already know what I want to do with the scallops and Sempai’s Japanese food is second to none.”

Shirou shook his head and said, “You’re getting closer to beating me though, Sakura.”

“I doubt that,” she said with a smile that she actually felt.

Saber was practically glowing as she said, “Well, with the two of you cooking we will have a meal fit for a king. This is something that will not be missed. Shirou, do you think we should invite Rin and Lancer for dinner tomorrow as well, allowing Rin to cook something too?”

Sakura looked away at mentioning Rin’s name as Shirou scratched the back of his head and scowled. “Tohsaka I don’t mind, Lancer . . .” Shirou shook his head and sighed.

Saber folded her arms over her chest and said, “Shirou, for us to enjoy Rin’s company we must put up with Lancer’s.”

“Fine fine, you win. Geeze Saber, I can’t win against you, can I?” Shirou said with a laugh as she wrapped an arm around him.

Sakura stared at them embracing each other so easily and looked away. She heard Saber said, “You should know better by now to challenge me in such things.”

“Well, I could always refuse to cook,” Shirou said with a smirk.

Saber’s green eyes widened as she stared at him. She gasped, “You wouldn’t!”

“Well, I mean, with Sakura and Tohsaka probably cooking tomorrow there’s really no need for me,” Shirou said with a shrug.

Sakura swallowed and said, “Tohsaka-sempai is not as good as you, Sempai. I would rather eat your food than hers any day.”

“Ah, thanks Sakura,” Shirou said with a tiny flush.

Saber looked at her and said, “If you keep flattering him like that, he will become lazy.”

“Saber!” Shirou said as he glared down at her, causing the blond to chuckle slightly.

She patted his hand and said, “I was only jesting, Shirou. Besides, you should see your face.”

“That’s it, I’m not cooking for you tonight then,” Shirou said with a snort before grinning slightly and looking away from her.

Saber shrugged and replied, “Well, I am most sure that Rin would be delighted to have me.”

Sakura bit her lip and looked away, trying to ignore the hot flash that washed over her body that had nothing to do with the worms inside of her. She flexed her hands at her sides and looked down at her feet as the two continued to playfully banter. She tried to drown it out, focus on the person playing loud pop music across the street or someone shouting from down the road. She closed her eyes and then felt a warm hand on her shoulder.

Her eyes flew open as she saw Shirou peering worriedly at her and he asked, “Are you sure you don’t want us to take us home? You’re looking flushed, Sakura.”

“T-t-that might be a good idea, Sempai,” she stammered as she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and forced a smile.

Saber blinked at her and asked, “Are you sure everything is fine at your home? We know that Shinji is not trustworthy.”

She looked down at her feet, knowing that they thought she was just an innocent bystander in all of this. They all thought she had no part in the War, when she was actually Rider’s real Master. So everyone just told her that Saber was someone that Shirou’s adopted father knew from England that had come to help him, and he help her. Some of the other Servants had wilder stories woven about them, like one of them being engaged to one of the teachers at the school and so on and so forth.

She looked back up at them and said, “It’s fine, thank you for your concern.” She bowed politely to them before gathering her purse and heading back to the dark Matou household.

[Elf]

Archer had his office and workshop closed and was in his actual work room. He had a good majority of his plan already formed, but there was one more thing he had to be sure of before he implemented it. He took off his shirt and carefully folded before he laid it on the work bench. He then had a small pocket knife sitting on the work bench as well as his first aid kit. He reached over to open up the first aid kit to have it ready incase this didn’t work.

He picked up the pocket knife and looked over his arms and chest. His chest was scattered with a myriad of scars from anything from swords to bullet wounds to the scar Gae Bolg had left him when Lancer stabbed him as a teenager. His arms were in better shape, so he picked up the knife and cut himself open on a burn scar on his left shoulder. He registered that it hurt, he also felt the warm rush of blood and the subtle sting, but Archer had grown close to pain during his life time and as a Servant.

He wiped off the knife with a paper towel and planned to clean it better later. He set it down on top of the soiled paper towel and closed his eyes. He opened up his Magic Circuits and flooded his prana through them. He felt them spark within him, the hammer slammed down and there was the signal that he was ready to Trace. He whispered, “Trace On.”

He could see the beautiful sapphire blue and golden sheath, see each exquisite line and etching in its metal surface. He could dissect it into eight parts and tell you how it was made and who the true owner was. He put those parts together and forced it into reality. He opened his eyes and found the famed scabbard of King Arthur in his hands. He brushed his thumb over the smooth surface before closing his eyes and forcing prana into the sheath.

He waited for his shoulder to heal, but there wasn’t even a tingle. He sighed as he looked at the blood streaming down his shoulder and pulled off more paper toweling. He held it over the wound with pressure to get it to stop bleeding. At least a sword didn’t poke out of the wound, he thought dryly as he removed the toweling and threw it away. He then proceeded to clean out the wound, disinfect it, apply styptic to it and bandage it. He threw away the trash and then looked at the perfect copy of Avalon sitting on his worktable.

He released the prana holding it together and it shattered into glittering particles before completely fading away. He scowled at where the sheath had been laying and muttered, “I had a feeling that wasn’t going to work.” He sighed and ran a hand through his hair before stretching his now aching shoulder. He rolled his arm and stretched, reforming his plan.

For Sakura to survive, I’m going to need Saber. Getting Saber involved gets that idiot involved. However, because this is for Sakura the both of them will help. However the one person I know who can best remove the worms is someone that both of them would probably kill on sight, Archer thought with a shake of his head.

He pulled on his shirt and cleaned up the area. He then put the first aid kit and the knife back into their proper places. Now here comes the next part in my daunting plan, Archer thought as he headed out the door. He jumped into the air since he didn’t own a car or a bike, and this was far faster and more fun than walking.

[Elf]

Archer landed on the roof of Kotomine’s church in a crouch before standing to his full height and dropping off the roof into the courtyard. His keen eyes looked around to see the corrupted priest standing at the door leading to his personal quarters with one hand behind his back. Archer calmly strolled up to him and Kotomine moved his hand from his back to clasp the other one and rest in front of him.

“Most people choose the use the door, Servant Archer,” Kotomine said as he approached Archer, “Instead of breaking and entering.”

Archer looked up and said, “I hadn’t broken into anything yet, habit anyway.”

“Sneaking into places? That’s not a savory habit,” the priest replied with a shake of his head.

Archer shrugged and said, “Like you have any room to talk Kotomine Kirei.”

“Very true. Still, were you able to complete your task?” Kotomine asked as he turned his back to Archer and started to head back into the church.

Archer fell into step with the man who was actually taller than he was and answered, “I found out what I needed, but the execution’s going to be more difficult than
I planned.”

“Zouken is ancient, he’s not without his tricks. He may look feeble, but don’t discount him,” Kotomine said ominously as his gaze flickered back to Archer.

Archer smirked and replied, “He’s not what I’m worried about. I’m worried about Sakura.”

“Ah, yes Tokiomi’s forgotten daughter, the unwanted one,” Kotomine said with a shake of his head as he opened up the door that lead to the church’s office.

Archer eyed him and said, “Well, apparently Zouken put some sort of failsafe in her.”

“Oh?” Kotomine asked with a tilt of his head.

He nodded and said, “Apparently he could take over her body if need be.”

“So, he did find a source of immortality, albeit flawed,” Kotomine said with a thoughtful tilt to his head, his large hands now clasped behind his back as the two of them stepped into his office.

Archer looked around the Spartan room, finding it matching his records of previous visits during different versions of the Fifth War. There was the heavy oak desk, high back chair, two hard chairs in front of the desk and a faded red couch. Tucked in the corner was a giant wooden cabinet with closed doors. The only detail that was different was that the room didn’t have drops of blood staining the couch, the desk or the chairs.

He replied, “Just at the cost of another’s free will.”

“True. So, how are you going to handle this, Servant Archer?” Kotomine asked as his dark eyes met Archer’s. One thick brow arched up sardonically as the priest watched.

Archer answered, “That’s why I’m here.”

“Oh? You don’t look like the type to seek spiritual guidance,” Kotomine said with a tiny smile and the shake of his head.

Archer smirked in response and replied, “We all know that your credibility as a priest is questionable to say the least.”

“I’m not going to argue with that,” Kotomine said, the smile spreading ever so slightly.

Archer folded his arms over his chest and replied, “However, your skills as a spiritual surgeon are wildly regarded and nearly second to none.”

“So, you want me to purge his safeguard from Sakura?” Kotomine asked as he sat down at his desk, calmly folding his hands together on the scuffed surface. “As adept as my talents are, I know I do have limits. She may die on the table, Servant Archer.”

Archer smiled and said, “Oh, I have a safeguard for that.”

“And, you come to me as if I’ve already decided to help the girl,” Kotomine replied as he continued to look at Archer, “I’ve made no such decision.”

The former Servant shrugged and said, “Think about all the misery Sakura being free will caused. Not to mention she’ll have to adapt to life away from both her step-brother and Zouken. It’s easy to die, but it’s harder to live. Not to mention how do you think Rin would respond?”

“You’ve thought about this carefully, Servant Archer,” Kotomine said as he stood up from his desk and walked to the cabinet. He opened it and pulled out a bottle of wine and two glasses. He set the glasses on the desk, uncorked the wine and said, “Gilgamesh always complained about the wine I kept here, but I always enjoyed it.”

[Elf]

He filled each glass and gave lifted it to Archer. Archer snorted, eyed it for a moment, took it and said, “When you’re in a War where almost everyone vastly overpowers you, you tend to think things carefully or cheat wildly.”

“What was it that Gilgamesh called you? Faker?” Kotomine asked as he swirled the burgundy liquid in the crystal glass. It reflected like deep rubies in the dim light in the room and Archer found his eyes drawn to the rich hue before Kotomine brought his cup to his lips and drank.

“Something like that,” Archer answered as he stared down into his own wine. He could smell the tart, fragrant smell of it. He really didn’t like to drink, other than the odd bit of sake to beat down dangerous mapo tofu’s heat, because he was such a lightweight, even after his growth spurt. He hated the loss of control it brought him, not to mention he never really remembered what happened during the time of his inebriation. However, not to be out done he took a sip and almost winched at the bitter, astringent taste of it.

Considering Kotomine, that’s really not surprising, he thought with a small shake of his head.

“And despite your dishonorable acts, you’re still going to save this girl that means nothing to you,” Kotomine said as he set his wine glass down.

Archer replied, “I was asked to help.”

“Not by Sakura. Why help someone who can’t even ask for help themselves?” Kotomine asked.

He shrugged and said, “I needed something to do, I guess.”

“Or maybe you couldn’t turn her down, no matter what your reasoning told you,” Kotomine replied as his eyes locked on Archer’s with shocking familiarity.

For a moment he was a seventeen year old boy again, in over his head in something he didn’t understand.

However, he was twisted enough that Kotomine didn’t make him uncomfortable anymore, and in hindsight he realized he actually liked the priest. He didn’t feel awkward in his own skin around Kotomine and that he could speak to him on a more even playing level. He wasn’t muddling around trying to force himself into a mundane existence with people who didn’t understand what had driven him.

Archer looked down at his wine with a sound that wasn’t quite a laugh, but wasn’t a snort either. He swirled the deep crimson liquid in its glass as he watched the play of light in its depths like little shimmers of rubies. The color made him think of Rin, and how she had made her choice, and honestly he didn’t blame her.

Lancer hadn’t betrayed her.

Lancer had saved her from the man before him at the cost of his own life.

Archer had forsaken everything on a chance that less than a percent and now was paying for it.

“I guess no matter what I do, I always need to save someone,” Archer said before he realized he was talking.

Kotomine asked, “Even if death would be a kinder fate in some fashion?”

“Then by your accounts, then you should want that person to live,” Archer said with a wiry grin as he took another slow sip of wine. This time he was ready for it and didn’t nearly choke, even without Reinforcement.

Kotomine actually smiled at him and replied, “But we’re not talking about me, Servant Archer, we’re talking about you.”

“And I’m avoiding the issue until after Sakura is free,” Archer replied as he swirled the wine around again.

Kotomine picked up his wine glass again and asked, “And what about after?”

“I’ll tell you everything if you agree to this,” Archer said as he set the wine glass down and refolded his arms across his chest.

Kotomine’s eyebrows arched as he replied, “And why would that mean anything to me?”

“You’re already curious,” Archer answered with a shrug, “And I’m well aquatinted with suffering.”

Kotomine said, “Then I look forward to it.”

[Elf]

Archer decided he wasn’t going to be rude and break into his former home, especially since he was asking for Saber’s help. Still, he wasn’t looking forward to going to his former home, seeing his idiot past self with her and then actually asking for help. Knowing Saber, he was fairly certain that he was going to have Excalibur pointed in his face at least once during the entire conversation.

Even though apparently Saber had gotten her answer while watching him and Shirou fight, he had a feeling that she was still upset about his treachery. He might have been some alternate version of her lover, but she knew the difference between them even though she could see the similarities in him and her. The irony had not been lost on him, he knew fully well that his and Saber’s paths were too alike to the point where they were even going to change the past to correct their plights.

Except at the end he knew his chance for a paradox was less than a percentage point, so he was just going to pour all of his frustration into killing Emiya Shirou.

Fortunately, he had his eyes opened to realize that dream had been beautiful and he hadn’t been wrong. Just he now knew that saving everyone was impossible and he hoped that Saber would keep Emiya Shirou from following in his footsteps. It was just that he had no goal and didn’t know what to do with himself without having to fight or clean up after humanity as a whole.

Which has to be part of the reason why I’m saving Sakura, Archer thought as he raised his hand to knock on the door. He paused as he realized for the past few days since Rider had asked him for help he actually felt like he had a purpose. He didn’t feel like a glorified handyman or out of place. He’d been enjoying himself from his talks to Kotomine and Ilya, despite his anger and regret over Sakura’s plight.

He knocked on the door and waited. He heard an all too familiar voice shout, “Shirou, I’ll get the door!” He shook his head as a moment later the door opened and he was greeted by a small blond girl with huge emerald eyes.

Aurtria Pendragon’s eyes widened as she stared up at Archer with one hand gripping the door frame. Then her eyes narrowed as she said, “Archer, what reason do you have to be here?” She folded her arms under her small breasts and glared up at him.

Archer remembered the first time he had met Saber in his time, how the image of the petite girl had been burned into his mind despite all the Hells he had been through. He remembered the moonlight pooling behind her, gleaming off her silver armor as emerald eyes looked down at him. It was something he would always cherish, despite their differences. However, it was sort of odd seeing her in blue jeans, a white tank top with her hair pulled up into a simple pony tail.

He answered, “Actually, I need to talk to you.”

She frowned and asked, “Whatever for?”

“I need your help to help someone,” Archer answered.

Saber sighed, her shoulders slumped as she asked, “Is Rin in trouble?”

“It’s not about Rin, it’s about Sakura,” Archer answered.

The frown grew deeper as Saber took a step back and said, “Come in. We saw Sakura yesterday, she seemed a little ill . . .”

“What’s wrong with Sakura isn’t something she wants broadcast out to everyone,” Archer replied as he closed the door behind him.

“And how do you know of her plight then?” she asked with a scowl.

Archer answered, “Rider asked for my help.”

“Rider?” Saber said as her eyes widened as she continued to frown.

He nodded and said, “It’s a long story.”

“Will you actually tell it, or are you just going to boldly lie as you did during the War?” Saber asked as her hands went to her hips.

He resisted the urge to grin at her as he replied, “I doubt it’s something that Sakura’s going to want you or Emiya Shirou to know.”

“If Sakura is in trouble, she should know that we would do all that we could to help her,” Saber said as she turned from Archer, her blond pony tail swaying back and forth with her graceful movements as she walked deeper into the home.

He silently agreed with her, but he also understood Sakura’s stance on the subject as well. He said, “I don’t think this is something Sakura wants people to know about.”

“She should know that we wouldn’t judge her,” Saber said with a frown as they made their way to the kitchen.

Archer shifted slightly as his keen eyes could make out the familiar mop of red hair bent over a pot. He could smell miso, rice, tofu, and sushi being prepared with normal perfection. Emiya Shirou looked up with a smile and asked, “Saber who was at the . . .” The smile wiped off the boy’s face as golden-brown eyes narrowed at Archer as he finished, “Archer.”

“Emiya Shirou,” Archer replied with a slight smirk as he folded his arms over his chest and made sure to stare down at the boy. It was childish, but he still enjoyed needling his alternative, younger self.

Saber glared at them both before moving over to her lover. She said in a low voice, “Apparently Archer needs our help to help Sakura.”

“What’s wrong with Sakura? She wasn’t feeling well yesterday, but other than that she seemed okay,” Shirou asked with a frown.

Saber sighed and answered, “Archer is being unforthcoming with information.”

“That’s not surprising,” Shirou grumbled as he moved back to stirring the miso soup. However he looked up at Archer and asked, “And why are you helping her anyway?”

Archer answered, “Rider asked me.” He wasn’t going to talk about how he’d been wandering through his new life almost as if he was sleepwalking and now he felt like he had a purpose again.

Shirou’s frown furrowed his brow even deeper as he looked at Saber. Saber shrugged and said, “Well, she was Shinji’s Servant. Maybe she had learned about Sakura’s situation during the War.”

Shirou sighed and said, “And you’re not going to explain anything to us.”

“Actually, in this situation I would want to, but I’m also respecting Sakura’s right to privacy,” Archer answered before clearing his throat. Besides, at least Saber will find out soon enough.

Saber asked, “If Sakura was in trouble, why would she not ask us for help?”

“Because she wouldn’t want to burden us,” Shirou answered quietly as he placed a lid on the miso soup so it could simmer.

Archer added, “Or put either of you in danger.”

“It’s bad isn’t it?” Shirou asked as he methodically moved to cutting the fish for the sushi. His eyes lifted and locked on Archer’s. They were still enough alike that Shirou would understand his reasons even if he didn’t like them.

He nodded and answered, “Yeah, it’s bad.”

“What do you need us to do then?” Shirou said with a grim scowl.

Archer answered, “I mainly need Saber. Saber and Avalon.”

“Avalon?” Saber asked.

Shirou frowned and asked, “Couldn’t you just Trace it?”

“I tried, it doesn’t work without its rightful owner,” Archer said as he looked pointedly at Saber, “Trust me, I didn’t want to come to the both of you for help.”

Shirou snorted, grinned lopsidedly and said, “I wonder why.”

“Well, I’m surprised that I wasn’t greeted with Excalibur under my nose when Saber opened the door,” Archer replied with a shake of his head and a grin.

Saber said, “The thought did cross my mind, but I do have to admit you proved yourself in the end, even if I do not agree with your methods.”

“I use those methods to keep up with you and Lancer,” Archer retorted.

Shirou raised both eyebrows at him as did Saber as they both stared at him. He sighed, shrugged and said, “That’s beyond the point though. I need Saber and Avalon to help Sakura.”

“What about me?” Shirou asked as he moved to stir the simmering soup again.

Archer sighed and answered, “Just be here to support her.”

“Sakura is actually going to be here in a short while to help prepare dinner, we
should tell her of our plans,” Saber said with a nod.

“No,” Archer said at the same time as Shirou did, causing the two of them to glare at each other.

Shirou took a deep breath and said, “Saber, if Sakura finds out, she might try to stop us. What exactly are you going to do anyway, Archer?”

He answered, “I need a little more information first, but I hope to be able to act tomorrow night. Saber, can you meet me at the bridge tomorrow night around Midnight?”

“Of course, and I will have both Avalon and Excalibur with me. Archer, if it is to aid Sakura, I will gladly offer my sword to you,” Saber said firmly, her emerald eyes bright and gleaming like the jewels they so shamed.

He stared at the petite King of Knights and had to remember that she wasn’t a Servant anymore. Even though she was still vastly powerful, she was mortal now and could be hurt by mortal means. That, and she was also a woman, and from what he’d found out, he didn’t want any girl near that home. Not even as one as powerful as Saber.

However, he had no plans of telling Saber that.

He said, “Thanks, that’s going to be useful.”

“Should we get her to spend the night?” Shirou asked.

Archer shook his head and said, “No, that would cause suspicion on both ends. Just act like everything is normal.”

“I will see you tomorrow night at the bridge then,” Saber said with a nod.

He nodded back to her and said, “Thanks, both of you. I better get out of here before she gets here too.”

“And Rin and Lancer are also coming by for dinner as well,” Saber said with an arch smile.

Shirou snorted and said, “Saber made me invite Lancer as well as Tohsaka. I didn’t want him here.”

“That’s one thing that’s stays the same,” Archer said softly as he moved to leave the kitchen.

[Elf]

Sakura slowly made her way to Sempai’s house, but it felt as if someone had doused her body in napalm and lit a match. She could barely breathe and each step sent a jolt through her body that made her shiver. She could feel those things crawling in her core and seeking satisfaction, but there had been none. Nii-san had seemingly all but forgotten her, and Grandfather hadn’t done anything to get him to resume his duties.

She rubbed her forehead and took a deep breath that made it feel as if someone was stabbing thousands of tiny needles into her lungs. She sagged slightly and considered going back home because she knew Sempai would worry about her and he’d press to find out what was wrong. With Saber at his side, Sakura knew that they would eventually know her dark secret, and that was the last thing that Sakura wanted.

She wanted to at least pretend she was a normal girl when she was with them. If that was taken away then she didn’t know what she would have left. So she would furiously fight to keep up that illusion no matter how horrible she felt or what the worms were doing to her. She gripped her hands into fists and doubled her step, no matter what the cost.

She smiled and sighed in relief as she reached the familiar old Samurai house and pulled the key from her pocket. Sakura quietly opened the door and made her way into the home. She slipped out of her shoes, made sure they were neatly stacked and frowned at the fairly large pair of black combat boots neatly arranged at the other side of the door away from Sempai and Saber’s much smaller footwear. They were immaculately kept, as if they were Sempai’s, but she knew him to wear sneakers whenever he could.

She didn’t see Rin’s familiar loafers so they couldn’t be Lancer’s, and Lancer didn’t seem the type to keep a spit polish on his shoes anyway. She moved away from the shoes and headed to the kitchen, shifting the weight of her grocery bags as she did. Halfway down the hall, she nearly ran into a man so tall that the top of her head was actually under the line of his shoulder.

Sakura cried out as she nearly stumbled backwards and a pair of large, tanned hands reached out to steady her before immediately letting go. She automatically looked down and said, “I’m sorry, I should have been looking where I was going.”

“It’s okay, I wasn’t exactly paying attention either,” a voice that was rough but yet oddly familiar at the same time replied.

Sakura actually looked up at the speaker and blinked. He was tall, broad shouldered with deeply tanned skin and white hair that was spiked up. Even under the black T-shirt he was wearing, she could see the heavy definition of muscles in his arms, shoulders and chest to the point she felt her cheeks heat up ever so slightly. However, his eyes were closed and he was smiling kindly at her, which made her smile back ever so slightly.

“Still, I apologize,” Sakura said with a tiny bow.

He opened his eyes and said, “Well, I think we’re both at fault here.”

Sakura opened her mouth to reply to him, but he was already moving down the hallway. She stared at the broad line of his back curiously and wondered who he was. Maybe he’s the Archer from the War, she thought, Nee-san’s former Servant. She realized she was watching him putting on his boots and quickly turned away to flee to the kitchen.

[Elf]

The tall, statuesque figure with long, braided lavender hair that trailed to the floor wasn’t hard to miss in the library stacks. Archer quietly approached the former Servant and she turned towards him with unblinking eyes. Rider looked around, adjusted her glasses and said, “I have a break in ten minutes. It’s not safe to talk here.”

Archer nodded in agreement and said, “The rooftop then.”

She nodded before gathering up a rather impressive stack of books and heading back to the stacks. Archer looked around and headed for the roof of the library. He sat down Japanese style as he felt the hot sun beat along his darkened skin and black clothing. He closed his eyes at the discomfort and began to run through the arsenal within himself just to kill the time.

He was breaking Durandal into the requisite eight parts when he heard light footsteps on the roof. He opened his eyes to see Rider standing there with her green work apron thrown over one shoulder and her hands in her jeans pockets. She headed over to him and he stood up in one moment. A light breeze played with the excessively long strands of her hair that had come loose from her braid and she lifted a hand to keep her hair from her face. She asked, “So, you have a plan now?”

“Yes I do,” Archer said with a nod.

Those queer square pupil eyes met his and she asked, “What do you need me to do?”

“Well, I need to see Sakura and get her out of the house before I can take care of Zouken. Kotomine will remove the worms and Saber has something that will help Sakura heal without any complications,” Archer answered, “Once Sakura’s safe at the Church I want you to stay there and guard her just in case while I come back for Zouken.”

Rider frowned and folded her arms under her breasts. She raised one graceful hand to push up her glasses again and replied, “And how will Zouken not know something’s wrong?”

“I’m going to sever the connection between Sakura and the old man,” Archer said with a tiny smirk, “All thanks to Caster.”

Rider’s frown twisted into a scowl and she said, “Caster? There’s no reason that witch would help.”

“She’s not doing anything personally, but I’m well acquainted with a tool of hers,” Archer said reassuringly.

“And the priest? From the time that I met him, he wasn’t exactly trustworthy,” Rider said with a tiny shake of her head.

Archer replied, “The one thing I can count on with Kotomine Kirei is that he never lies, and he’s too intrigued to see what’s going to happen not to do this.”

Rider gave a tiny nod and asked, “When do you want to meet tomorrow?”

“If Shinji or the old man sees you anywhere near the home that’s going to throw alarms. And I know how not to be seen,” Archer answered, “However, meet me at the bottom of the hill around 11:30, then we’ll get to the bridge to meet Saber.”

The tiniest smile graced Rider’s full lips before she gave a tiny bow. She said, “Thank you Archer, for doing this.”

“Don’t thank me until it’s done. You’ll take care of Sakura after everything, right?” Archer asked, blinking at the suddenness of the question.

Rider blinked as well before nodding, “Of course. I already have room for her at my apartment.”

“After we’re done, she’ll be the sole beneficiary of the Matou home and its assets, but I doubt if she’s going to want to stay there. I just want to make sure she’s taken care of,” Archer said before clearing his throat and looking away.

One slim hand stifled a chuckle as lilac eyes twinkled with mirth behind their precious glasses. Rider pointed at him and said, “Ah, you do care!”

“Look, I don’t want to go to all of this trouble and have Sakura out in the cold. Well, metaphorically speaking. It’s bloody hot,” Archer said as he adjusted the collar of his T-shirt and almost winched at the dampness he felt on the light fabric.

Rider chuckled again and said, “I know what you’re saying, I was just surprised that you mentioned it.”

“I’m not a total bastard,” Archer said with a snort and a wry grin.

As silent as a shadow, the voluptuous woman moved beside him and rested one hand on his shoulder. Blinking rapidly, Archer turned to look down at the woman and she chuckled. “In my day I was considered freakishly tall, but you are quite a bit taller than me, Archer,” Rider said with a shake of her head, “Still, thank you.”

He blinked at the Gorgon’s musings before shaking his own head and confessing, “When I was a kid I wanted to be taller.”

She laughed at that and removed her hand from his shoulder. He awkwardly rubbed the back of his head and Rider’s eyes locked on him and she slowly blinked. He shifted and asked, “What?”

“Nothing, I had a moment of déjà vu that’s all,” she said with a smile as she headed towards the roof access, “I will see you tomorrow night then.”

He sighed with a nod as he watched her go, silently wondering, When did I become so awkward again?

[Elf]

Archer had one more stop before he could go home, and that was with Kotomine to tell him the last part of the plan. This time, since it was still daylight out, he stepped through the front door of the church and walked inside. He wondered if Kotomine would be in the confessional, gleefully taking sinner’s confessions and enjoying their sorrows. He shook his head at the mental image and headed towards the false priest’s office.

“Hello Faker.”

He froze at the familiar voice that turned the word “Faker” into something more akin to “Faaaaaaakkkkerrr” and grimaced. He sighed, turned around and said, “Hello King of Heroes, what the hell are you doing here?”


“I could ask the same of you, Faker,” Gilgamesh replied as he slowly strode over to Archer. As always, he was impeccably dressed in light trousers and a white dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up at the elbow due to the heat. Crimson eyes focused on Archer so hard that it was almost tangible before the handsome face broke into a slow grin.

Archer replied, “It’s been a while since my last confession.”

“I had no idea you followed this faith,” Gilgamesh said, “Or any faith at all.”

He shrugged and said, “I’ve been surprising a lot of people lately.”

“You have a talent for that,” Gilgamesh said with a leer as he closed the distance between them. Crimson eyes searched Archer’s face before the King of Heroes canted his head thoughtfully. “You killed me.”

Archer shrugged and said, “And you obviously got better.”

“Still, I’m conflicted,” the blond said as he folded his arms across his chest with a petulant frown, “I should stomp you under my boot like the mongrel you are, but I suppose even fakes have their worth.”

Archer sighed and asked, “And what the hell are you doing here?”

“I’m bored,” Gilgamesh said with a sigh of his own as he rolled his eyes heavenward with a shake of his head.

Archer slid his hands into his pockets and replied in a dry voice, “How horrible.”

“This world disgusts me, Faker,” Gilgamesh said as he looked around the church, “Too many useless people. However, it there are some things that are fascinating.” Crimson eyes flickered over Archer and he resisted the urge to flinch.

Archer eyed him and said, “Well, you can always try world domination through Wall Street.”

“Yes! I’ve studied much about this Wall Street and Day Trading and the like,” Gilgamesh said with a smile, “With my wealth, I could command the world within days, but this world still confuses me. I need help in my conquests, Faker.”

Archer said, “Well, I doubt Kotomine’s going to want to sign up.”

“I’m not talking about the priest,” the King of Heroes said as his eyes met Archer’s, “You, despite your fakes, were able to kill me. That’s an impressive feat in itself.”

Archer didn’t reply, but instead looked around the church. He had a feeling that Kotomine was watching the entire exchange and probably enjoying his discomfort. “It’s a shame someone with such cunning and skill is wasting away as nothing but a mere . . . what’s the term? Handyman?” Gilgamesh flashed him a lopsided little grin as his crimson eyes narrowed possessively at Archer.

“Sorry, I’m not interested in world domination,” Archer replied as he headed towards the confessional booth.

Gilgamesh’s laughter bubbled up and bounced throughout the church, sending shivers of ice down the former Servant’s spine. “Well, I’ll ask again and again until you are, Faker,” the blond jovially called out as Archer entered the booth.

He had to duck down to keep from bumping his head on the low beam and sat in the tiny, hard seat. “How long has it been since your last confession?” the familiar, deep voice said from the next booth.

Archer found himself smiling as he replied, “Well Father I can tell you first hand that there is no God. There’s just the Earth and the Spirit of Humanity and the Earth is trying to kill humanity because humanity is killing it, but humanity is trying to survive and humanity is trying to kill itself.”

“That’s an interesting view on things, Archer,” Kotomine said, his voice carrying a slight lilt of amusement.

He leaned his head against the hard wood of the confessional booth and closed his eyes. Broad shoulders slumped as a callused hand rubbed a tense forehead. “It’s not a view, it’s the damned truth Kotomine,” Archer said as he rubbed his forehead.

“Oh?” the corrupted priest asked and through the wooden mesh Archer noticed Kotomine’s silhouette sit up.

Archer nodded and opened his eyes, looking up at the dark wooden ceiling. He continued, “So humanity has safeguards to keep it from destroying itself. A cleaning crew if you will that disposes all evidence of disasters. Spirits of the dead instead of going back to the record to be recycled go to the Throne, but they’re used over and over to clean up after death for all eternity.”

“And they bare witness to these events?” Kotomine asked, his face turning towards Archer.

He nodded and answered, “And recorded in exact detail in records in the Guardian’s mind.”

“They’re called Guardians?” Kotomine asked and even through the dimness separating them, Archer could see his smile.

“Counter Guardians if you want to be technical,” Archer answered.

“From the Counter Force?”

“The very one. A last defense to keep humanity from wiping itself out. A force that cleans up and only gets to see the worse side of humanity,” Archer said as he rubbed his face one last time.

“Sounds interesting,” Kotomine replied, the lilt of amusement very evident in his voice.

Archer smiled dryly and said, “Sell yourself after death for power and you’ll see enough misery to make yourself happy for eternity.”

There was a very slight bit of laughter from the booth before Kotomine said, “That was the most interesting confession I had all day.”

“Probably one of your only confessions today. Fuyuki is not known for its devout Catholic population,” Archer said as he emerged from the booth. Moments later Kotomine followed suit, his hands going into the pockets of his simple black slacks.

The false priest smiled at Archer and said, “Well, I’m now looking forward to knowing exactly who you were in life then after that.”

“That’s why I told you,” Archer said with a smirk of his own.

Kotomine laughed and retorted, “To make sure I didn’t betray you or not hold up my part of the deal.”

“Something like that,” Archer replied as he looked around the church, “Be ready tomorrow around Midnight. I’ll have Sakura, Rider and Saber with me.”

“Saber and Rider? Do you not trust me that much?” Kotomine said with a shake of his head.

Archer smiled ever so slightly and replied, “Something like that. You’ll see tomorrow.”

“I look forward to it then,” Kotomine said with a tiny bit of a smile.

Archer nodded and said, “Well, I’ll see you then.”

“Afterwards, I expect that you and I will have a long talk,” Kotomine said as Archer began to head out of the church.