::::::::::::::::::::::::::Fate/Stay Night Zero::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
By: Demon Eyes
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters in this story. They belong to Type-Moon. Duh!
Part II
"You do like your tea don't you Tohsaka?" It's after school and since Mitsuzuri asked me to come over to the archery club, I decided to drop in after school. I come here often but not and look out at the students on the range striking poses and aiming arrows like they were on the red line in the medieval periods. Erg, me and my wars. Anyway, I come here to watch the students practice but I only watch one in particular. Only Mitsuzuri knows who it is, everyone else thinks I am here to watch that stuck up brat Matou Shinji. I never try to correct them, for I need that rumor as a cover for my true intentions. The bastard tried even once to confess to me and got turned down. Hard. But I don't think it was hard enough as the idiot is still spouting lies that I dig him. He is that stupid. Maybe he doesn't want his pride to demolish. Crazily, many girls are all over him with his arrogant personality held out to the public like that. Oh well, each to their own I guess.
"How do you know that I am not putting up with all this water just so I can make it seem that I love tea? For all you know, it's one of my disguises." I answer as I take another sip from my cup. Though like I stated before, I am a tea freak and thus, I love my tea. I have to get my vendor get shipments fresh, straight from China. The crap that they sell in town aren't my cup of tea so to speak*Chuckle*. I must have done that openly as Mitsuzuri looks up to me with a hard face.
"What's so funny Tohsaka? Don't tell me you have found one?" Her eyes widen in mock shock. What she means by the one, is that if I have found a boy friend. You see, we made this crazy bet when we first met, to see who would get a make-the-other-jealous boyfriend. I stop at this. There are so many boys I could have and who would make her jealous but I have not been thinking about that at all. I could tell her a lie and say that I have one. It wouldn't take me even two hours to find a boy to pose as my boy. But...
"Sadly, as much as I would like it to be that, itfs not a boy. I haven't found one in this school yet who can turn me into a giddy ten year old." Lies. There is one but though I act tough, I am so soft in the inside I have to take a magical x-ray every morning just to make sure I have bones. "What I was laughing about was...Ah, forget about it. I do like the tea. It's the only stable thing in my life." This dampens my spirit somehow as it brings onto the surface unwanted memories and things that would make dreams of, nightmares. Mitsuzuri brings me back to the sane with a correct guess of one of the reasons I am down. This is as far as I let her in. She knows not of the whole of that which is Tohsaka Rin.
"I don't get it Tohsaka, why don't you just get together some where, like having lunch and spend some time together? I mean, every time I see you together at all, you talk to each other like strangers. I just don't get it. There is no way I can do that." Matou Sakura is who we are talking about. She is Matou Shinji's sister. They look so alike, that you wouldn't know the truth. They both have blue-violet hair and matching eyes with the same colour. Matou Sakura is Shinji's adopted sister. Her birth name is Tohsaka Sakura. Yes, she is my real sister. A year younger than me. She was adopted by the Matou family just before my father left to fight in the last war. A family can't have two successors. If two children are born, one has to be raised in ignorance of magi craft. That being Sakura in our case. That being said, Sakura doesn't have a clue that she is a magus basically. Or of the true nature of this City. She does know that I am her big sister. We decided to let everybody else think that we weren't sisters. Those who know are Mitsuzuri and Shinji of course. But enough if that. I am getting myself depressed and Tohsaka Rin can't be anything but cool.
"I told you Mitsuzuri, there are a lot of reasons that we act this way. Very important reasons. And besides, though we don't talk much, I talk to her as a stranger and find out if she is okay or not." I say this, but every single time I ask her she tells me she is fine. I don't know what it is but I can tell that she isn't telling the truth. I can't possibly force her to tell me the truth without going to the extreme. Damn that Shinji, I just know he is doing something to her but I have no way of finding out. Is...It can't be. But I can't put it past him. Is he...bullying her?!! Bastard. If he is, I will make him pay. A cup in my hands breaks. I am so mad at that boy and I don't know why. Maybe because I feel as if Sakura trusts him more than I do! And anyway, somewhere in my mind, I know Sakura hates me. No, she must despise me. When I think about the night she was taken away, why wouldn't she? I feel someone touching my hands. I had closed my eyes at this moment and I'm startled to say the least since I am not the touchy feely type of girl. I open my eyes to someone I wasn't expecting at all and jump back away from her. It's...
"Sakura!!? What...I didn't see you there." I am always emotionally unstable when she is around. I don't think I will ever get used to her presence. I look down to my hand to find a half done bandage there. It seems I injured my palm when I broke the cup. I could heal this quickly but I will save that for later. Time to put things in order. I stand up as I have been on the floor and I look into Sakura's face. She looks a little heart, perhaps from my actions. "I am sorry. I will take care of this myself Sakura. Thank you any way." I compose myself and get my coat. It's high time I left this place before things get any weirder.
"I'm sorry sempai. I was coming to tell the captain that we are leaving and I saw blood on your hands from the cuts of the cup shards." Her look is un-readable. "I/m sorry" Damn it. I hate my heart sometimes. If I'm not careful, I might make a mistake. Mitsuzuri knows the truth about us but what if someone walks in? I smile as I put the finishing touches on my coat. Looking all to the world the coolest girl around. I must admit, I like it a little to be at the top.
"It's alright Sakura. And thank you again for your help." I turn with mock hurt towards Mitsuzuri who has just finished cleaning away the broken pieces of chinaware. "Unlike someone who prefers to watch as I drain myself." A glare. And" Do you really hate me that much for not joining the club?" I was joking but I think she took it seriously as I see her shift uncomfortably and, is that sweat I see? Oh Mitsuzuri, I guess since Sakura is here, she thought I wouldn't joke around.
"Er...I was calling to you but you seemed to be in your own world. And besides, Sakura had been here when you broke the cup and she was faster than me." She looks to Sakura who looks a little embarrassed. I guess she still does care after all. This brings a smile and a feeling into me. That is until Mitsuzuri speaks" What was that about anyway? I've never seen you like that before." She looks to Sakura and I see that she at least has enough imagination to think it involves her at most. I can't tell her the truth. What can I say, that I'm jealous of that weirdo Shinji because Sakura trusts him more than me? Nope. No way hose. Even she has a line on which I can get deep to with her. She looks at me expectantly.
"Its...It's nothing Mitsuzuri. Forget about it." I look into her eyes and plead with her to let it go. This time I have no ware to break. Though she seems a little hurt that I didn't confide in her, she nods in understanding. And besides, Sakura is here, so I can't talk about her. I think quickly to cheer her up. " I will make it up to you, why don't we go out to the movies tomorrow? There is this new movie that came out yesterday that I want to see. It's about this girl trying different methods to try and get a boyfriend. The trailer was funny and I think you will love it. Okay?" Her face suddenly brightens. She loves things like those. if it wasn't for my classmates and friends- Makidera, Himuro and Saegusa, I call them the M-H-S triangle since they are inseparable- pointing out that movie to me and Saegusa asking me to go, I wouldn't have heard of it. And besides, I have turned down poor Saegusa's invites a lot of times that I am starting to feel awful doing it. It is best for a magus not to be too close to people but what the heck? I will cross that bridge when I get to it.
Suddenly I feel like I have missed something or someone. I turn around to see Sakura looking like she was intruding on something or that she was where she wasn't wanted. Well, no body said we can't be friends. "Of course you can come too Sakura. My friend Saegusa would be glad to meet you am sure. You seem similar in a away." She seems to consider saying no. But for some reason, I have never seen her with any friends. And I think that the passivity of getting one, be it an upper-class one, got her to make up her mind. She looks up to me and gives a smile I have never been rewarded before. I store it away in my mind's album. She says that she would like that and I say goodbye to Mitsuzuri and walk out with Sakura towards the school gates.
"So Sakura, everything okay with you at home? If that Shinji is giving you trouble you tell me and I will give him a piece of my mind." I look hard in her eyes searching for something, anything but she looks straight back. Defiant. And tells me that everything is alright. Sempai. I am starting to get annoyed at that word. Silence ensues. Uncomfortable silence. We walk on. Apparently we had stopped in all the talking. As we near the gates however, I catch site of the last guy I want to see at this moment. Shinji. I look quickly to my side and I see something in Sakura but it is gone as quickly as it came. I understand and ask her to come later after me. I say my goodbyes to her and move forward. Knowing that Shinji was waiting for his girl squad to go shopping with the. He goes shopping with girls. Can he get anymore pathetic really. *Sigh* Here we go again.
"Ah Tohsaka. The best person to make this boring day bright for me. How do you do? Came to your senses already and decided that Ifm the man for you?" The arrogant bastard. I give him a stare that would still even Issei. Issei is the student council president and he is the coolest guy I know. He asked me once to be in the council and I turned him down too. He doesn't seem to like me much and I guess that is why. Back to the now, a look of fear crosses Shinji's face and he backs up a little. "Wha...what?" He is so bad that he still thinks I could even consider going out with him? Okay. That's it.
"Now look here Shinji, we both know that the only reason you even have that number of girls is because of your money. No one would be anywhere near a guy like you if it weren't that. Frankly speaking, I would rather go out with my female admires than being caught out in town with you." Not that I would do that mind you. I have a lot of male admires as I mentioned. Even that Issei who seems to show his affection with getting upset by me is one of them. And let's not forget my childhood crush who for reasons that I shan't make known right now, I can't get closer to than a hall way conversation involving words like "hi and see ya" Poor Shinji is so pissed, he looked ready to blow a fuse. Just then his convoy of females arrive and he would rather be dead than be caught uncool. He puts on his smile and is back in arrogant mode once again. I really feel sorry for this guy. I say bye to him and walk away to go home. More important tasks wait. As I leave, I hear him telling lies of how I had asked him out and turned down because he already had plans with his girls. They swoon. That bastard.
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At home, I check the answering machine after I settle down and have had a cup of tea. Two messages. All important. Only two people have my land line number. My tea supplier and my guardian. The first message is from the tea vendor telling me that this month's bunch came in. I will have to remember to get that tomorrow when I go out with my friends. I delete it. The other is from Kirei. He is reminding me, again, to summon my servant quickly or be disqualified from this war. There is one other uncounted for master for crying out loud man, chill. Besides, I had planned to do the deed tonight. And the war isn't officially to start until tomorrow midnight. I chose today, at 3:00 am to summon my servant since I will be at my strongest. I had just transferred mana into my jewels two months ago like how I have been doing every month for the last ten years. I decided to skip a month so that I may be at my most when this day comes. I plan on summoning a Saber class servant and since I don't have any attribute of that class except wanting the most powerful, I have to be strong too. Perhaps I should have stopped storing my mana in the gems more than two months. Not that I am not strong enough now. The mana I have is enough to summon even two servants but I want one.
Besides, if I wanted, I could use that stored mana, but I want to save that for later when in battle. You never know what might happen. Some masters find defeating the servants difficult and so they go for the easiest option; killing the master. Because if you were to kill the master, the bond btn master and servant would be severed and you can make their servant's your own. it is cowardly, but in case I was not to draw Saber, then I would go to what ever means necessary to get a Saber class servant from the one who has it. And I don't think there is that powerful a master in this town. Otherwise, I might have heard of them. Not that I am planning on failing mind you. It's 20:00 hrs right now. I check my PC to make sure it's the right time as I send a mail to the magi institute in England. I had received a letter inviting me to go and get magi craft education there. But as I said, I have important matters to attend to and I don't know when it will be over. I send them a reply telling them I will return to them in the future. They can afford to wait. After all the Tohsakas are one of the prestigious magi craft houses in the whole world. I set my mobile alarm, this time to wake me up at exactly 02:30 hrs. Time to order takeaway. Forty minutes later, I am full, and ready for bed. I sleep in my clothes and on top of the covers so as to not make it too comfortable that I won't wake up. A protection and quiet spell up, I go into slumber...
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A group of many people. Men, women and even children are all assembled together on what looks like a hill. From the looks of it, everyone was around. All came to witness this very important of occasion. For today was to be the day their king Arturia was to be passed judgment upon. Not unexpectedly, there was three groups of people; those who were in favor, those who were against it and those who didn't know what to believe in. It was like no other, this gathering was. Even bigger than the ceremony that was held to officially appoint King Aturia to the throne. Said king was no way looking like a ruler. She was dressed as a peasant boy would. In a white shirt tucked into brown trousers that were tucked into calf-high boots. Arturia, now no longer king to the people whom she had lead with a gentle and caring hand, was tied up on a pole that stood out from the ground at the top of said hill. Her features were those of someone whose beliefs were completely stripped away from and had no other reason to be.
Which is why she was the way she was. For, these same people whom she had fought many countless wars and came out victorious, were the same that were cheering for her demise. To be burnt on a stake so to speak, by the very people for whom you lived...Unthinkable. Arturia was so heart broken by this turn of events that she had no power left to say anything. Even as the executor, who happens to be the previous and as it seems the now again king, asks her if she has anything to say in her defense. It looked like King Ramsay wasn't at all for this deed that was to be carried out. She just remained perfectly still. Her face down even as she could feel the king pleading with her to say something. But she knew that no matter what she said, if she had the energy to, would be taken exactly as the perpetrator would have imagined as he put his plan in motion. He had planted a seed that started sprouting doubts in people and rumors that led to this day started to move around. She knew what was going on and who started it, but her trust in her people was so strong, that she never tried to stop it.
And so, even as Merlin sent her a mental message asking her why she was allowing this to happen when they were all lies, When she looked into the crowd's eyes, what stared back at her gave her the answer. And did the group of those that thought her guilty just increase? Oh well. Her mind was so weak that she gave Merlin no answer. Even as the man tried everything to get her to reconsider. Things like how she was making a big mistake and this country would go into chaos. Or how she had the power of Excalibur backing her up. But she wasn't listening. And she commanded Excalibur to take away her immortality were the people to go through with the deed. And by the looks of the torch in the king's hand and several others', her fate was already decided. She managed to spare up her last energy and turn towards the group of people who were still believing in her and those who had their doubts and said one heart felt word that brought even more fresh tears from said people, " I am very sorry". And the torch was thrown. Later on as many years passed, Scotland went into chaos after the murder of King Ramsay and after many losses, and a new King brought peace to the land but not after all that heartbreaking loss. Arturia, having been the wielder of Excalibur, had an eternal soul and she watched all this unfold. She felt like she had let down her people by allowing them to be eaten away by lies that now as she looked back, she could've washed away. She wished she could go back and stop this from happening to her people, her country and Excalibur granted her wish...
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Damn it. That dream again. If this continues, I might sign up for a personal psychologist. Why oh why am I dreaming of that female King? But to be looked at by eyes like that from the same people you trust a lot, which had to be the most heart breaking things in this King Arturia's life. For some reason that brings an image of Sakura to mind and I quickly shake it out. I get up and go to wash my face in the bathroom. I really feel refreshed and really up to the task that I have to take in less than half an hour. I take one last look in the mirror to check and see if I'm pleasant enough. First impressions are always every thing you know, lest my servant thing me an unhygienic person. Meh. Listen to me, I sound like Ifm going to a meeting of destiny or something. Well, seeing as where my future is, this is in a way a destined meeting. When I am satisfied with my appearance, I leave for the attic, where I will be conducting this very complicated procedure. I make it sound like rocket science but it is our duty as magi, to make the impossible possible. Alright, let's put this show on the road.
I draw a summoning sigil that looks like a big circle with two interlaced triangles inside it. I use this to help in directing the Holy Grail to the particular servant that I want as my partner. Servants are heroic beings from the past or future that have wishes that they want granted for their souls to stop wandering. And the Holy Grail chooses its champions from all those that are capable. Seven champions. They need a way of being materialized in the real world for them to be able to fight in the war alongside their masters who provide that said way. A master has to transfer mana to the servant for them to be visible to the naked eyes. If a master was to cut off that flow of mana, then the servant would go back to their spiritual forms but they don't disappear. They are close by to their master and in that form, only other servants can see them and that servant's master. Not even other masters can see your servant in spiritual form. I have now completed the sigil. And for some reason all this talking about servants has brought that dream I had to mind now. I shake it off. No way am I messing this up now. I have a way of messing up at the important times, but not today. I check the time again from y watch, and mobile phone to be sure. Yes, one minute and a few differences in thirty and twenty-eight seconds. I decide to position myself in the middle of the circle and decide to go through the chant in my head. As I said, no messing tonight. I have to get everything perfect. 25, 24, 23, 22, 21 seconds and counting. Yoshii.
"Ye first, Oh silver, Oh iron. Oh stone of the foundation, Oh Archduke of the Contract. Hear me in the name of our great teacher, the Arch magus SchBeinorg. Let the descending winds be as a well. Let the gates in all directions be shut, rising above the crown, and let the three-forked roads to the Kingdom revolve" I chant as the watch strikes 3:00 am in the night. I have to take this carefully and calmly. I used my own blood to draw the sigil and feel a little woozy so I must be careful. I continue on, "Fill. Fill. Fill. Fill. Fill." Five times, firmly. "And now, let the filled sigils be annihilated in my stead". I have been preparing for this moment for a long time..."Set". I let my dam that holds my mana flow inside break. A painful experience like no other like my insides is on fire. Everything in me is being over taken by mana. As of now, I am no longer human. Not that I thought of myself as any normal human but officially now, I am human...no more. I have given myself over to the Holy Grail to be used by it in its obtaining. Oh, now there is a wish. Once I get it, I will wish to be back to normal, if I want to that is *Chuckle*. I start dissolving away from my finger tips towards the main part of the body. The sigil has turned an eerie green from the blood red it was once. Maybe that is just me. Meh.
The mana of the spirit that is to be my servant fills my body. Too intense. Too concentrated. From this feeling alone, I know I have got what I aimed to get. Ifm holding my body together by sheer force of will. I will be damned if I give up from this extend of pain. Ten years, I remind my self. My body is on fire. Perhaps that explains the sweat dripping from my brow. I can't describe what my body is looking to a stranger now. It feels weirder looking at your self in a dream. 'Cause you know, no one has ever seen themselves in their own dreams. Lava is what I feel inside. Molten lava. And are those scales instead of my skin? I must be losing it. Time to concentrate. But the pain, the pain. I may be a magus, but I was human before I was magus and it's getting to me. But I am Tohsaka Rin and I refuse to give in. I must succeed. " I inform thee." Time to put a close to this. "I inform thee. Let thy body rest under my dominion, let my fate rest in thy blade. If thou submitteth to the call of the Holy Grail, and if thou wilt obey this mind, this reason, then thou shalt respond."
My part is done. I can feel the completeness of my work. My fate is decided. My servant is being given form, I can feel it. I smile to my self as my body's defenses kick in and I start to lose consciousness. The deed is done. And I have succeeded. Before I go into the darkness however, I have to catch a glimpse of the one who will fight at my side and together we shall claim victory. But when I lay my eyes on the being that now has fully being revealed, if only her feet that are surrounded by winds that are also disappearing, my pain is temporarily forgotten. There before me, is the beauty that I have been dreaming of these last times I've gone into slumber. King Arturia herself. In all her might and elegance. She never looked like this in the dreams. I swear. "It...It's you." I manage weakly. Not from the fatigue, but from the sheer wonderment I feel from looking at her. She is looking at me with a serious but cool expression. Her features firm except her raised eye brow when I sounded like I've seen her somewhere when obviously, this is our first meeting. At least for her. She looks down at me and holds out her hand to help me up as I had fallen on my back side from the exhaustion of the summoning and says, coolly...
"Servant Saber. Upon your summoning, have come to lend you my sword and promise you victory." I take the hand and stand up. All the while still staring like a five year old to an ice cream display. "Master, your orders." My God!
To Be Continued....