What if Waver Velvet had participated in the fifth grail war as he intended?
DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything. Fate/Stay night is the property of Type Moon.
2nd DISCLAIMER: I have only read the first EM case files because I cannot find the later ones in English. Guidance on these topics would be appreciated.
Note: My assumption with this fic is that no one here has read El Melloi case files, but has played through the original F/SN video game and watched Fate/Zero. That said, you might be a little confused by adult Waver and the El Melloi Case Files character 'Gray.' to read up my (short) write up, click here
Prologue:
“Ah! My elusive master returns at last.” The giant sat up straight from where he was hunched up on the floor, surrounded by a pile of books, snacks, and video games.
“I didn’t want to speak at length before you were up to speed.” The lecturer of the clocktower replied, loosening his dark red scarf. “”I trust that my spell was successful?”
The giant relaxed into a slump at the base of the couch and smile. “Yes, yes. A curious and useful spell, that was. It is strange to see things one did, but cannot remember doing, especially when viewed from the perspective of another.” He rubbed his chin pensively. “No, the only way to make sense of it is to think of this Rider, your Rider, as another person, distinct from myself.” He chuckled. “That certainly makes the pain of failure less keen.”
A wry smile touched the lips of the Clocktower lecturer as he put away his things. “I know better than to think that you are expressing regret, Rider.”
The giant closed his eyes and frowned thoughtfully. “I see that you were listening to the other me at least somewhat. Ha! Even if that other me failed, he at least succeeded in gaining a loyal retainer, yes?”
“Correct. However, I am not the boy who thought to win the grail war, and you are not the king to which that boy swore an oath of fealty.” The lecturer’s voice had grown tight, but he let out a sigh and released it, smiling. “The oath of fealty that I have sworn to you now is a separate matter entirely. I suppose you will say that your inability to remember the last war is a cause for rejoicing, since we get to experience the joy of meeting again.”
“Of course!” The giant’s laugh rolled like water. “I only bring up that old oath because I question why you should involve yourself in this war again. You were commanded by your king to live! It seems that you survived the last war only by the mercy of the King of Heroes, and now you are needlessly endangering yourself. To be clear, I am hardly complaining, but in addition to everything else, you’re not even sure that this grail will work.”
Silence prevailed for a moment as the lecturer simply stood there, staring. “Well, I did want to see you again.” The statement was delivered almost in a resigned, embarrassed manner. “But truly? I despise this ritual. I intend to obtain the grail for my king, extract every scrap of knowledge I can from it, and then dismantle it totally.”
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CHAPTER 1:
“The specter that has haunted magecraft, practically since its inception, has been the ever approaching threat of stagnation. It is certainly true that entire fields of the craft have become almost impossible in recent centuries. You could argue with some force that ultimately, magecraft will fade into meaninglessness and that any attempt to escape this destiny is mere vanity. If you are one who would argue in such away, let me tell you now: you are a pathetic creature barely worthy to be called a magus. Magi, by definition, are a class of being whose sole purpose is to pursue the unattainable, to achieve the impossible.”
***
“Master, wake up.” The voice was flat and toneless. Waver cracked an eye open from his position on the sofa and frowned.
“Master, wake up.” The voice was accompanied now by a slight poke.
Waver sighed heavily and sat up. He had been up too late again, but what else could be expected? There was much to do, and he had only a few weeks before the Grail War started properly. He suppressed a yawn. At least he had managed to find an apartment that had a sofa. “Gray, what time is it?”
“You have half an hour before you miss the bus.” Waver met with Gray’s vibrant green eyes and winced. “I can’t wear the hood to school, master.” Gray stated apologetically.
Of course she wouldn’t be able to wear the hood while they were doing reconnaissance. He should have expected that. Japanese schools had uniforms, after all, and a hood wasn’t something they let you wear in a normal school anyway. He fumbled for his cigar case. “Sorry for the short notice. When did you get in?”
“Late last night. I noted that you had already keyed me into the bounded field so I let myself in.” She paused. “The bed was empty so I slept there. I take it that the large man on the futon is your servant?”
Waver cut off the end of a cigar and lit it. “Correct.” He pulled in a breath of smoke and then exhaled slowly. “Well, technically he’s our servant. I have the command seals, but you’re ponying up more mana for him than I am.”
Gray simply nodded. Waver regarded her for a long moment. “You should meet him before we head out. Let’s go take care of that now.”
“Master...” She frowned. “Don’t you need to...”
“I slept in my clothes, and I’ll smell like cigars whether or not I get a shower in. This is more important.” He crossed the room and pushed the door open. “Rider. You wanted to meet the other master, right?”
Rider, who was dressed only in his boxers and a t-shirt, was already sitting up straight. “I heard her come in last night. All things considered I thought it better to wait until morning for introductions.”
Gray bowed stiffly. “I am Gray, co-master with Lord El Melloi II.” She paused awkwardly. “Lord El Melloi II is my master, though. That is to say, I’m his disciple.”
Waver nodded. “She’s your master, I’m hers, and you’re mine. We should all be able to get along famously.”
“A clear hierarchy is essential to victory.” Rider replied amiably. “So tell me, Master, what is the wish you have for the Grail?”
Gray frowned. “I don’t have one. I wanted… to change, I suppose. I’ve been doing one thing for my whole life.” She shrugged. “This is different, so I volunteered to assist my Master.”
“Foolish! If it is a change that you want, take up a hobby! To wage war for so small a reason… Surely there is more you desire?”
Gray swallowed, blushing a little. She was conscious of deeper yearnings, but... “There’s nothing that I’d care to be given by the grail.”
Now Rider’s face split into a smile. “Now there is an attitude I can get behind! Whatever your dreams are, I am glad to hear that they are so precious to you.” He paused and regarded her more closely. “Waver, she does...”
“Yes, the resemblance is strong, and I don’t mean just in terms of appearance. There’s a connection there, but I’m not quite sure what it is.” Waver frowned. “Suffice to say that she’s exceptionally suited for a grail war.” He paused. “It goes without saying, but I trust her with my life.”
Gray was not going to argue with his assessment of her abilities. Lord El Melloi II was almost always right about this sort of thing. Nonetheless, it seemed to her that he had glossed over some important details. “I feel the need to add that as a magus, I’m not very capable.”
Waver sent her a sidelong glare. “Oy, quit saying things like that, Gray. It’s bad form to act all humble when you’ve better capablities than I have.”
Gray didn’t have a reply. She couldn’t disagree with him. In terms of mana she far outclassed him. However, given how unskilled she was, it seemed like the height of arrogance to claim herself as the superior of Lord El Melloi II.
Waver sighed and picked up his briefcase. “Come on Gray, let’s get to the bus stop. Rider, is there anything you require before I go?”
“On the contrary, I am very well-supplied, with both information and comfort. Your king is most satisfied with your preparations.” He chuckled. “I have more than enough to occupy me.”
Waver smiled quietly. He hoped that his king’s optimism was well-founded. For the moment, however… He had a job to do.
***
The Lecturer was well aware of his own limitations. He possessed neither exceptional mana, nor a spectacular crest, nor a particularly interesting Origin. He did, however, possess one extraordinarily rare quality that had allowed him to leap ahead of many of the older families. He cared nothing for his pride or reputation. He was not too proud to turn up his nose at a promising pupil who had a disgraceful past. He wouldn’t turn away from a branch of research out of fear of failure. He was not so full of his family honor that he was afraid to ask for help.
He sighed.
He was also, apparently, not too proud to take on a job as an educator of normal, uninteresting, Japanese highschoolers.
“My name is Mr. Samite, and I will be your lecturer for this class while your usual teacher, Mr. Saito is away on vacation. Some of you just misheard me now. Some of you heard that I am your teacher. Some of you heard that I am to be your mentor for your time here. Some of you, in fact, heard me just say that I am to be your surrogate parent for as long as you’re enrolled here. No. I am your lecturer. I will present information in a format that is easy to understand, and you will attempt to comprehend it. I will evaluate the extent to which you are successful in comprehending the information. This will be the extent of our relationship.”
He did not anticipate that the students would give him much trouble. He did not have the fearsome reputation here that he did at the Clocktower, but normal brats were nothing for him to control when compared with the pedigreed pricks to which he was accustomed.
Now, if only he could convince himself that it was worth it.
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CHAPTER 2:
“The fundamental error that the Goldenbergs encountered in this endeavor was that they forgot the first and most important rule of magecraft. I see that some of you are eagerly hoping that I will ask you to tell me what that first rule is. I can already hear your answers. ‘od,’ you will say, or ‘knowledge.’ But in the study of magecraft, these lessons come later. The first rule of magecraft is, and always has been, pain. And no, I do not mean physical pain, although that is an old friend to everyone who has studied the art. I mean pain, all-inclusive. The pain to study for days without sleep, to trade your health for your craft, to lose loved ones as you grow distant from your own humanity… THAT is the substance of magecraft, and if you forsake that, if you attempt to circumvent pain and struggle, you can only fail.”
***
Gray walked through the halls of Homurahara academy like someone in a dream. There were simply too many people around for her even to process them all. So many wanted to introduce themselves, hold conversation with her; she couldn’t simply tune them out like in London. Even without her reclusive nature, talking at all would have been a struggle. She had only had a few months to learn the language, which probably would have been enough for Master or some genius, but as it stood she was struggling to get by at all.
Nonetheless, she had volunteered for this task. In fact, she had volunteered for this in part because she knew that it would force her to meet more people. And her master was not far away, in any case.
The place smelled of disinfectant and perfume and sweat. There was something else, too, tingling in the air at the edge of her senses, so fleeting and complex that she was finding it hard to focus on the lessons, or even on the people around her. Gray clenched her notebook more tightly as she walked down the hall. She was only going to be here at the school for this one day. Couldn’t she focus even for that long?
That strange, tingling sensation flitted through the air again. Her sixth sense was strong, to the point that it nearly debilitated her in areas of potent magical energy. Master had theorized that it was a product of her prolonged exposure to spirits during her upbringing. Normally, such a faint tincture of energy as she sensed now would have been disregarded completely, and yet… she could not let go of it.
Gray felt pretty confident that if Tohsaka or Matou found her snooping around like this, she would be in a lot of trouble. The story that Master had supplied her with was that she had just moved to Fuyuki and was trying out Homurahara and a few other area schools; there was no rational explanation for why she should be up here during her lunchtime beyond ‘I got lost.’
She made a quick turn down hallway. It wasn’t difficult to follow the sensation, now that it was lunch and she had some time to track it down. Another turn to the right, no… that had been wrong. She needed to find some stairs. Two floors up? No, only one. More walking.
She had found it. There was a plain, bespectacled boy, perhaps two years older than her, standing in front of doorway. Was he the source of the sensation? No. It was behind him. She moved toward the doorway. The boy caught sight of her, and his eyes went wide.
“Hey. HEY. Stop ____, ___ are you?” The boy barred her way, his stance ready for a fight. Gray froze, uncertain of how to proceed.
“My name is Gray. I...” What was the Japanese word for lost? She should know this, or rather, she did know this.
“Are you ___ ___?” The boy seemed disturbed; he was speaking too rapidly. Gray frowned and narrowed her eyes in concentration. When she didn’t reply, he seemed to get even more agitated. This was a stupid situation. She either needed to push past him or drop it. It wouldn’t be hard, but it would be risky. An incident was the sort of thing that Tohsaka, for example, might remember. And yet… whatever than weird colored aura was, it was coming from here.
The school bell rang, informing everyone that they had five minutes to get to class. Within moments this hallway would no doubt be filled with students. Gray grit her teeth, thinking what she could say to make this boy stop blocking her way. “I seek thing.” She stated. “I seek...”
Her voice trailed off there, because then he came into the room. He was fit, red-haired, perhaps two years older than her, and… and… he was not alive. He could not be alive his every motion was grinding and sparking and popping, and…
Gray ground her teeth together and drew on her training in defensive meditation. She refused to collapse here. She would not blow her master’s cover. She would not… The strange boy had already left.
***
Lord El Melloi II slumped into the ancient recliner in the teachers’ lounge and immediately relit his cigar. At this point, lecturing required no conscious effort, even when the topic was something that he found as tedious as the topic of English grammar. This break in schedule offered him relief from tedium more than anything. The only actual point of interest here were his targets - the Matous and Tohsaka - and he had only seen one of them so far. He pulled on his cigar thoughtlessly.
The female teachers sitting in the corner giggled. He glanced over at them, just in time to see them immediately look away. He grimaced and focused his attentions on the cigar, rolling it between his fingers and contemplating the release of the smoke. The physical ritual of smoking was a kind of zen for him at times like these.
“WAVER VELVET!” The shout caused him to swallow his cigar, and he looked up into a pair of furiously happy brown eyes. Brown eyes, he noted that were set in a the face of a woman he recognized. Lord El Melloi II swallowed.
A fist hammered into his ribcage. and he let out a gasp of air. “I knew I recognized you from somewhere!” the lady shouted in triumph. “Everyone was saying ‘who is that attractive foreign English teacher? Where did he come from?’” The fist nailed him again and he felt his stomach heave. The lady continued, heedless of his distress. “I knew that I, Fujimura Taiga, had the answers to those questions, but I could not bring them to mind. ‘Perhaps we were lovers in a past life?’ I thought. But you’re Waver Velvet, the boy who helped me chase down those thieves that stole the wine.” Finally, she punched her fist into her palm and let out an exultant cheer. “I am the first to decipher the mysterious foreigner. I, Taiga, declare victory.”
Lord El Melloi II used this moment of respite to contemplate his means of escape. He couldn’t hypnotize her here - there were too many witnesses, and if he used magecraft at this school his cover was as good as blown. He doubted that he could get to the door with Taiga leaning over him the way that she was. Fighting her was out of the question, if the force of those ‘playful’ punches had been any indication of her combat ability.
So, then, he was left with only one palatable option: to bluff like hell. “Excuse me, miss,” He choked out. “I’m afraid that my Japanese isn’t very good. I think you’ve mistaken me for someone else? My name is Samite.”
Taiga’s face darkened suddenly. “Oh!” She cried. “That can’t be right. You’re that funny British boy I met with the tall red-haired friend who was, uh..” Her face grew very red.
“Please, I have no idea what you’re talking about.” He continued calmly. “My name is John Samite. I’m the substitute for Mr. Saito for the next few days.”
She slumped into the chair next to him. “Fate is not kind to me. I may as well die. ”
It had been a weird little chain of events that had led to his encounter with Taiga during the last grail war. Amongst all of the insanity of those short weeks, the incident seemed hardly worth remembering. She had been a teenager then, perhaps five years younger than him, and when Rider had ‘plundered’ a liquor store, she had given chase. Throwing her off their trail had been, of course, trivial. Nonetheless, for reasons he could not recall, Rider had insisted that they played along with her ‘investigation’ for several hours. In the end he’d sent a few barrels of wine to replace the one they had stolen, and he’d thought the whole affair to be concluded.
She was still curled up in the next chair, blushing furiously and muttering to herself. Waver sighed. “You’re one of the other English teachers here, right?” He recalled her being excessively talkative and trusting. Maybe she’d have some useful information.
She jolted back into a sitting position and then leaned against the arm of the chair in a manner that Waver assumed was intended to be seductive. “Oh, yes, I’ve always thought that communication was important. It’s really a tragic thing that language divides the world so, don’t you think?” A misty look came into her eyes. “If only we could all find a way to live in harmony with each other.”
“Ah, yes. But I was wondering, you know...” He sighed internally. “What is the local gossip around Homurahara Academy these days?” He could hardly think of a more transparent plea for information, and yet, with such a woman...
“Ooh!” She squeaked. “I see the sort of man you are. You’re the sort that likes drama and local politics. Me, I don’t go in for that at all.” She turned, staring off into the middle distance with (it could only be assumed) thoughts of great virtue passing through her head. Suddenly she crouched down next to him and was whispering in his ear. “You and that foreign exchange student are all that anyone is gossiping about these days anyway. Have you seen her? The girl looks like something that crawled out of the spirit world to eat our souls.” Waver sighed.
“She’s got odd hair and eye coloration, sure, but as a British person myself, I have to say I don’t find her appearance that alarming.” He paused. He’d have to steer her onto relevant topics, that much was obvious. “One of my students this morning had natural purple hair.”
“Pff, that’s just Sakura.” Taiga dismissed him. “Lot’s of people have purple hair. Her brother’s hair is practically blue! This foreign girl though-”
Waver grit his teeth. This was going to be no simple matter.
***
“To be clear,” Waver noted, “I’m not upset with you.”
Gray trailed behind him a few feet as he walked through the darkened hallway of the school. “I just hope that none of the masters noted my… episode.”
“I’d be surprised if they did pick up on it, and it only matters for the next few days, anyway. We’re not going to be attending school when things really get going.” Waver crouched and pulled the eyedropper from his suitcoat pocket, dropping tiny beads of water at points along the floor. “You might have stumbled onto something more important here.”
Gray did not reply, but simply watched her master at work. The beads of water he had dropped on the floor glowed a dull orange color for a few moments, and then darkened.
“There are seven masters after all, and we only know the identity of six of them.” Waver continued. “Or, well, I suppose it is more proper to say that we know where six of the masters are coming from. There's us, two masters from the association, and three are from the founding families. It is fair to assume that all of the standard magi involved in this war will learn each other’s identities fairly quickly and be prepared. For example, I already anticipate that Bazzet Fraga McRemitz will be the most dangerous master in this grail war, and I have researched her capabilities extensively. Conversely, her allies at the Clocktower will inform her shortly about how I’m spending my sabbatical, and she'll know all of my weaknesses." He smiled wryly at that. "The wildcard, though, the seventh master, he can really throw a wrench into our preparations if we’re not careful. Wildcards tend to be magi or potential magi from the general area of Fuyuki who have a desire for the grail. With Japan being a backwater, well. Let's just say that if there's a magus living in Fuyuki that no one knows about, he's a good pick for the wildcard.” They came to the doorway where Gray had encountered the strange… person earlier in the day.
After a few minutes of testing, Waver rose and frowned. “Well, there was magecraft performed here, but nothing particularly interesting.” He turned to Gray. “You could identify him if you saw him?”
Gray nodded. The boy had red hair.
A few minutes later they had broken into the principal’s office, unlocked his computer (the principal had been hypnotized into giving Waver his admin password the day before) and pulled up the student roster.
Gray searched the faces for the strange boy. If not for his distinctive hair, she did not know that she would be able to identify him. The impression of him had been so much more memorable than the details of his face. “There.” She announced. “That’s the boy who shouldn’t be alive.”
Wave took a step back from the computer. “Gray.” His voice was deeply serious. “Are you absolutely sure?”
Gray frowned, but nodded nonetheless.
Waver fetched a cigar from his coat pocket, lit it, and took a very, very long drag from it. “We’re heading back now, Gray.” He removed his cigar and glared at the screen for a moment. “Emiya is involved. We need to rethink everything.”
***
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Originally Posted by Hymn of Ragnarok
