So, was reading a bit on Spacebattles and eventually I went "You know what, this is good, and involves the Nasu-verse. Is it on Beast's Lair?" It wasn't so I went and asked the author if he felt like putting it up here, he said he didn't but if I wanted to then I could go ahead. Evidently I have too much free time.
I'll be releasing the chapters as they come, and dumping a generalization of feedback to the author about once a week. Any feedback you have for me on stuff that I'm responsible for is appreciated too.
(Non-magical) Index
Original thread on SB
The More Things Change
Prologue - This Post
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Note, (loosely)based on the Hollow Ataraxi doujin Heaven's Failure. Now, without me waffling on even further.
Prologue
Emiya Shirou hated mirrors. It hadn't always been that way. Once, quite a few months ago now, he hadn't really thought anything about his reflection one way or the other. Physical appearances didn't really count for much in the end, and he'd never been a particularly vain person. He may have had little use for them, but they'd never troubled him. If anything he felt reassured by the familiar sight of his own face every morning.
Now though, and for the last few months following the nearly disastrous conclusion of the debacle they called the Fifth Holy Grail War, he couldn't stand the sight of his own reflection. As he looked into the mirror, and the pale skin, snow white hair, and ruby eyes of Illyasviel von Einzbern stared back at him, all he could see was a constant reminder of the small girl he couldn't save. Who, in blatant defiance of his express wishes, sacrificed herself so that he could continue living. Even beyond that, though...
His/her frosty white eyebrow twitched. “What the heck happened to all that business about the body changing to match the soul?!” s/he demanded in a very manly, not at all feminine, high-pitched squeak of a voice.
____________________
“Still fuming?” Rider queried dryly as the sound of her host's regularly scheduled morning tirade began to pick up steam.
“Senpai is...understandably upset that 'his' body doesn't seem to be...um...adjusting the way we hoped.” Sakura replied defensively. The zombie in the corner wearing the shape of her sister provided an unladylike snort into her coffee at that remark.
“Not half as 'upset' as you are, I bet.” Rin snarked as she imbibed more of the beverage. Sakura glared at the currently unwanted interloper in her morning routine.
“It's going to provide an...interesting challenge.” the Matou heiress replied diplomatically in between nibbles on her scone. Rider shook her head in amusement. Well, she certainly wasn't after the boy for his body then, was she?
Down the hallway, the angry ranting abruptly cut out and the door slammed shut, causing all conversation of the topic to abruptly cease. All the current inhabitants of the Emiya manor knew better than to mention anything about the subject before breakfast was over. Especially considering Shirou's recently applied kitchen ban. Said individual, garbed in comically oversized pajamas, marched into the room while studiously avoiding anyone's eyes as she sat down in her usual position.
“Good morning, Emiya-sama.” a placid voice called from the kitchen as Sella, the surviving Einzbern maid turned Emiya maid announced as she entered the room and deposited Shirou's breakfast in front of her, who repaid the gesture by glaring at her so maliciously that an involuntary shiver went down Rin's spine at the recollection of the last time that glare was directed at her.
“Young lady, there is no call for that kind of attitude and you are gravely mistaken if you think those mystic eyes of yours mean anything to me.” Sella admonished. “You can resume cooking when I am satisfied with your performance in your coordination exercises. Illya-sama did not offer up her life for you so that you could squander it foolishly with fumbled cutlery.” the stern woman admonished. Shirou flinched visibly as anger at her situation faded to sadness at the loss of her sister.
“I'm sorry. It's just...I'm sorry.” she said, clearly looking miserable. Sella's expression softened.
“I realize this has been difficult for you, and it will likely continue to be so.” the maid offered in a soothing tone. “You must understand though, if your body does not adjust, and at this point it looks as though it is not going to, then you will have to learn to live with it.”
“What about the puppet option?” Shirou asked sulkily. The maid shook her head in the negative.
“While a puppet body might have worked if the container for your soul were small enough, Illya-sama gave her entire being to you. Unless you have spontaneously mastered Heaven's Feel since the last time we spoke...” the maid trailed off, staring meaningfully at the white-haired girl grinding her teeth, “...then we cannot safely materialize your soul for transfer into another vessel. You would end up like Makiri Zouken with your soul rotting over time.” she concluded. Nobody could miss the combination of fear and disgust in Shirou's eyes.
“Not an option, then...” she muttered dejectedly.
“There...is another thing we should discuss Emiya-sama.” the maid stated carefully, ignoring Sakura's gestures to ward off the topic. Enough time had passed to come to terms, now it was time to face the music.
“What is it, then?” Shirou asked with evident dread.
“In order to continue living here free of interference, you are going to have to adopt Illya-sama's legal identity.” Sella said, reasoning it was better to get it over with quickly. The glass in Shirou's hand cracked slightly.
“How do you figure that?!” she demanded.
“If the Einzbern discover that even an incomplete form of Heaven's Feel was successfully used during the war, and they discover that you are the product of that working...” Sella prompted as the smaller homunculus blanched.
“They'd stop at nothing to dissect me would they?” she asked weakly. Being a target for possessing a reality marble was one thing. Becoming a Sealing Designate effectively just placed one on a 'capture when convenient' list. A clever person who avoided making too many waves could stay free and clear indefinitely. Becoming known to the Einzbern, a family who had been using all of the considerable resources at their disposal for generations to recover their lost True Magic, as the potential key to recovering said True Magic? Nope. Done. Probably wouldn't last a week. Shirou drew a shaky breath and expelled it slowly.
“I see.” she said after a moment's thought as the room's occupants looked at her sympathetically. Her fists curled in on themselves in impotent fury. The others tried, but they couldn't really understand the problem. She wasn't all that upset by the change in her physical form. That was a secondary, nearly cosmetic concern. The problem was that everything about the situation had made it that much more difficult to pursue her goals.
Even if she acknowledged that trying to save everyone was impossible and more than a bit foolish, she still wanted to help whoever she could, and this...body was ill-equipped to do that. Every benefit came with two downsides. Illya had managed to pass on her obscenely powerful magic circuits, but she couldn't handle the output. Her reality marble had developed during the war and become far more potentially formidable, but now it was fractured and unstable due to a spiritual three-way tug of war between herself and the remnants of Archer and Illya. Any attempt to use it beyond accessing some of the blueprints stored within it could see her becoming a perverse inversion of a pincushion as the endless blades within it tore her apart.
“I could...” Rin began haltingly, before firming her resolve, “I could ask the Wizard Marshall for help. He's taking me as his apprentice after all...” she offered hesitantly. Everyone else in the room stared at her in disbelief.
“I saw some of that man's history in the Jewel Sword.” Shirou replied flatly. “Do you really think we're badly enough off to invite that kind of chaos on ourselves?”
“I didn't say it was my preferred option...” Rin replied irritably, “Just that it's an option.”
“Let's cross that bridge when...if...we come to it.” Sakura declared, prompting a chorus of nods in response.
“Honestly, it may not turn out to matter for too much longer...” Shirou pointed out. “If this body is exactly the same as Illya's, then we may be looking at a pretty short timetable.” she said, prompting a misty-eyed Sakura to draw her closer and embrace her tiny form.
“Don't say things like that.” she pleaded. “We'll find a way somehow...”
As if on cue, the front door slid open with no warning from the house's bounded fields.
“Maybe I can help with that!” a man with a black suit and sunglasses announced as he strode into the house, neglecting to even take his shoes off. A split second later multiple flashes of light blinded him and he was sailing across the room, yelping as he was pinned to the wall by several very large, very sharp swords piercing through his suit. The shadows in the room appeared to darken, the woman with square pupils began thoughtfully fingering the edges of her glasses, the woman in the red dress produced several brightly glowing gemstones, and the maid in the kitchen was holding a frying pan and eyeing him in a decidedly unfriendly way.
“Wait, wait, wait!” the man exclaimed, dignity thrown to the wind. “I COME IN PEACE! I COME IN PEEEAAACE!” he screamed desperately. A brief flash later the swords were gone and he collapsed in a heap at the base of the wall. He raised his head, sunglasses knocked askew, and met the most terrifying crimson glare he'd ever seen.
“Start. Talking.” the high-pitched voice those awful eyes belonged to demanded.