::::::::::Fate/Stay Night Zero::::::::::
By: Demon Eyes
Disclaimer: All the characters in this story, albeit a few additions, aren't mine. They belong to Type-Moon of course.
Prologue
"I say we send out a messenger to deliver our white flag." Bellows a man who looks to be in his late forties wearing amour and speaking inn the early Century Scottish language. He is one of the seven men seated around a large round table all dressed similarly. He says this with an edge in his voice and putting power in his suggestion by pounding his closed fist on the table. All around him, everyone looks like they have been in discussion for quite some time and the strain in their faces suggesting they were going no where.
"What nonsense are you spouting Sir Fiachra? This army is the most feared in Western regions. We giving in would ma..." Having been interrupted by a metallic cup hitting a table, it's contents spilling everywhere, the man looked across the table to see another man looking all to the world like he was ready to rip someone's head off.
"You, Sir Caddell, are the one spouting nonsense. The enemy is only a few suns away from reaching our country and you are talking about pride? I don't know about everybody else here but I joined this army to protect my family and every other person in it. I won't risk bringing harm to innocents just because I was keeping our country's pride." He turns towards another man who unlike all the others on the table, looked to have a lot more years over the rest. He was the only one who looked to have taken some sleep compared to the others who might have been up for a few days. His armor was quite different from the rest in both quantity and quality. He had an air of power around him and he happened to be the King to these men seated around him and the same country of which whose safety, they were speaking of. "Our Lord feels the same way I believe?"
"Okay everyone, I understand that this is a very difficult time for all of us and our country. We have been seated here for more than eighteen hours straight trying to see what we can do to stop the advance of this terrifying whose strength and tactics of which even I, who has fought more wars than any of you here, has seen before. But as our comrade Sir. Gilroy here has stated, our country and its people are the reason of why we fight. We have at least two platoons of soldiers left on the front line. That can hold for two other moons until the remaining three still here depart to make the last stand. We, the remaining seven, shall also go with the last group and pray that we will prevail." The great man stops here all of a sudden and stands up. Everyone at the table is forced to give their King their attention. "No." He continues. His eyes showing even more determination than he had shown all day. "We must prevail. We have to forget about false hopes of someone ever wielding the Great Excalibur. Every man and boy in this country has tried to pull the sword of victory from its resting place and no one has succeeded. So my friend, forget about Excalibur and let us fight to preserve peace to our country with our own hands." He pushes a fist in the air and is rewarded but clapping and feet hitting the floor in a gesture of awe at his leadership.
While the men are still cheering, suddenly, a figure coughs politely to get attention and everyone in the room turns towards the source of the voice. It was coming from one of the corners which were hard to see into properly as it was a little after dusk and the room was lucking a few windows. "Who goes there?h Asks one of the men, his hands in a gesture to show that he was reading to draw his sword as were the other five except their King, who looked like he was expecting this. A dark shadowy figure emerged from the corner and came into the lamp light. It had a hood over its head and carried a staff like a walking stick. When the men saw this, they sighed in relief uniformly and relaxed their hands. "Sir. Merlin. It's Merlin my King" The man who had asked said for all to hear.
"My good friend Merlin, what brings you here? I hope you have some good advice as to how we are going to drive away our enemy because that is what we were discussing. Unfortunately, without success. We have decided we are going to fight till our dying breath." The King walks over to this hooded figure known as Merlin and he shakes hands with him. Merlin shakes the King's hand and uses the other that holds his stuff to pull back his hood. He looks in the same years as the King himself yet as we will learn he has lived over hundreds of years. He is known as a Warlock by many.
"I am very happy to say that I have very good news indeed my King. For out of no where, has come our savior. A person who will bring victory to mother Scotland. There I was, waiting as always near the stone for the one who will come and claim the Great Sword and I see a person walk up to the hill. At first I didn't believe it. What was this person thinking? But it seems, living for many years indeed takes something away from you. For me I had forgotten not to judge people by their appearances but I was warned not to refuse anyone who wanted to try their hand at Excalibur. Thus I went through the ritual and the person stepped up to claim the sword. And as easy as if the sword was in wet clay, it was pulled out of its resting place by said ease." Merlin shakes his head a little. He looks like he doesn't believe it even now. He looks towards the double doors leading to the room everyone was in. The doors start to open. "Here is our champion my King. Meet Arturia, the person who has come to save our land from our worst enemy and is to become King."
The doors part ways to let in "A woman?!! Have you gone mad Sir. Merlin? A woman can not..."" Silence." Orders the King as he looks towards the person who has just entered the room. It was a young woman, not old enough to be called a woman but held herself in a way that you couldn't address her as such. She was wearing silver armor on her arms as long gloves. On her chest and a metal vest and around her hips and a skirt. Underneath was a regal blue dress and in a sheath held in one hand, was the weapon to be beheld, The Sword of Victory, Excalibur. Upon seeing it, all around, even the said girl known as Arturia, everyone was rebuffed as they saw their King bow to his knees in front of this girl. "I King Ramsay, recognize thee Arturia, as the wielder of the Sword Of Victory and thus the new King of Scotland as of now." He gestures for his right hand men to get on their knees and reluctantly, they do as their King, or was King demands of them. He looks up to the girl in front of him, looking a little out of place and continues" I have failed to drive away our enemy and I was about to send my last men into a battle in which they might not have returned." He looked really ashamed and tired all of a sudden. "please I beg of you, as my last request to preserve peace to our land, King Arturia." he says this last part in finality as if to put a stop to protests which were to come but now silenced.
The girl now known as King Arturia, looked like she was having a great war waging in her eyes that in the present light, looked to be medium sea green. Seeming to have come to a decision, now her demeanor changed to that of a leader, King Arturia looked to Sir. Ramsay and smiled. She held out her hand as she said, " Sir. Ramsay, I had already decided to bring peace to this land when I was still but a child as I saw my parents being killed. But it gives me more reason to bring forth that peace as now I not only will bring it for my own self but for you Sir." Not like a girl at all. But a powerful being housed in a body of a young 17 yr old girl. A power that you see held back just beyond her eyes. Like a Dragon indeed. 'Now I see what they meant by the wielder of the Sword Of Victory being like a Dragon.' Sir. Ramsay thought to himself. A smile coming to his lips as he took his King's hand and standing to his feet.
"Sir. Merlin just informed me that the enemy numbers have just increased and that our platoon will be totally defeated by dawn tomorrow. I must set out to the battle field right now and save many soldiers as possible. The armies still stationed here are not needed so you may stay and I give you my word that I will come back with victory. Now if you will excuse me, I must leave right now." She bowed to the former King again before turning to leave only to be interrupted by Sir. Ramsay.
"My King, won't you take a few of these men to aide you? They might be of some use and..." He didn't get to finish as his king turned and shook her head. She told him her reasons.
"Sir. Ramsay, it is two moons from here to the place of the battle and as I said, the enemies have grown and our armies will be defeated by tomorrow dawn. I was aiming to reach there in a lot earlier than that. If I were to travel alone, I would reach there in no less that 4 hours were I to go as fast as I can. Maybe you can send them too to aide the wounded and help them return but I must go alone." She saw the wonder and doubt in Sir. Ramsay's face and she smiled, again, at him to re assure him. "Sir, this sword has many gifts that accompany it. I can not tell you a lot but let's just say that speed is one of them." With that her face turned serious as she looked to the rest of the men who were all quiet all this time. "prepare as much medical equipment as possible and set out to help the wounded. Take the west route as that is where we shall return from. We might meet in a day's time so take your time. Now let us go." She turned to leave and the rest of the men followed except Sir. Ramsay who stayed to discuss something more with Merlin.
After some time outside, King Arturia checked the medical supplies and seeing them to her plans, she nodded to the men and turned. "Don't forget. Take the West route. May god be with you all." The men bid her farewells as well and she closed her eyes calling upon the powers of the sword. To the observer, it looked as if she were in a silent prayer with her eyes closed and in front of Sir. Gilroy and the whole town's people who had come to witness their new King, were left in confusion and wonder as, seemingly in a gust of wing, their King vanished. But she had truly been flying at ground level at such a speed, that it looked like she just vanished. Sir. Gilroy having got a hold of himself, urged his selected few to move on with the medical supplies.
On the battle field, ten hours later, an explosion is heard and fire burning and the person seemingly to be the leader of the enemy forces, orders his people to retreat and they leave in defeat. Amidst the remainder of a scorching battlefield, stands King Arturia. Excalibur back in its sheath and supporting its Master who was looking towards an unknown distance. Blood painted her armor and her face but she looked not like a killer but an Angel in hell. She was King Aturia of Scotland. The most powerful and wisest of Kings that ruled mother Scotland.
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Part I
I wake up panting. I have never had such a dream before. I usually dream of my dear departed father but today...I force myself to lie on my back and stare at the ceiling. I wonder why I was dreaming of some king from ages ago. Well, she was a woman but still, why? I grow silent and as my raging heart comes back to normal, all that greets me is the usual ticking of the many clocks in my house. Well, to call it a house would be to under-value it. It is a mansion. Can house about 7 people each with their own bedrooms. Yes. I stay here alone. I've stayed here alone for ten years. Know this place in and out like the back of
my own palm.
I get up and go to the bathroom to prepare my self yet for another day of school. Though another day today is not. I brush my teeth and get into the shower and after that I put on my uniform and then I'm ready for school. But not without my morning hobby first. Yes, if someone knew me, they might call me a tea freak as I drink tea like no other. I would like to call myself the Tea Master of Fuyuki. The city in which I reside. I might as well, since I know no other that has a taste for tea like I do. hmm...here comes the hard part. I always have to choose which particular I should have everyday and it takes up a lot of time. But time is what I have as it seems that all my clocks decided to go an hour backwards today. Not only did I have a weird dream, but now it seems other crazy things are happening. Not that that surprises me in the least. But I am getting side tracked here. I decide to go with Lady Gray today and I prepare a pot of it. When ready, I go to my dining table and sit down to ponder today's plans.
I have finished my tea and after putting away the clean utensils, cast a "cleaning" spell, followed by a "security" spell on my house and leave for school. Fuyuki City is devided, by a crimson bridge, into two parts. One part of the town is, to put it in simple words, the urban part with a lot of foreign houses and simply looks Western style. This is the part in which I live. the other part, is rural and is where you will find all the traditional houses and everything. The famous Ryudo temple is on that side of the City.
my name is Tohsaka Rin. I am 16 years old. my family is famous as it is one of the oldest houses in Fuyuki and we or I am quite rich. Though I never have any use or need if the riches. I am glad to mention too that Ifm the No.01 girl at my school. Though those fools who drool when they think I'm not looking are out of their minds if they think they will ever get a chance with me. Not that I'm that hard made. I have a guy I like and he happens to go to this same school. But I haven't had a decent conversation with him since we were younger. I can do everything if I wanted but I am the captain of the Straight-home-after-classes club. Yes. I am too lazy but only in that part of my life. Yes, I lead two lives. This is one of those two.
The other life that no one else knows about, except my legal guardian, Fr. Kotomine Kirei, who looked after me after the death of my father, is that I am a magus. My family is also famous for it's lines of mages who are secretly living in this City. I have been training all my life to be a mage and fight in a war that is, ironically, supposed to start any time today and not later than by the end of tomorrow. I call it a war but don't think guns and tanks and everything. this is a war of fourteen beings. Seven mages known as masters who will be aided by seven spiritual beings known as servants. A master and a servant fighting in a war over the possession of one thing. The Holy Grail. it is said to grant any wish the victor who claims it may have. It might not be called a war with this number of participants but if the seven spiritual beings doing the fighting are souls of past and present heroes with un heard of off world abilities that can level a city, then it is a war. Not to mention the masters who can bend the rules of the physical as we know it. I am one of these Magi(masters) who are to fight in this war. The last war was ten years ago in which my father who was a participant lost his life and the reason why part of the rural part of Fuyuki City is now barren. I fight in this war, not because of the prize, but because I want to succeed where my father failed. I must bring the Holy grail to House Tohsaka. That is why I have been prepared for the last 10 years for today. Tonight, Ifm to sermon my servant tonight. A partner who will fight with me to win the Holy Grail.
I can see my friend, best friend, at the school gates. I wave for her and catch her attention and she waves back and stands waiting for me to catch up. In order to sermon a servant, you need something of the type of which you want to sermon. There are seven classes of servants; Saber-The most powerful of servants and use swords as weapons, Archer-Users of projectile weapons, Rider-Most agile class, Berserk-the strongest class, Caster-The magician class, Assassin-Most stealth, and Lancer-Users of long range weapons. I don't have anything of the servant I want to summon except that I aim to get the most powerful and that automatically counts for Saber class. I have prepared for this moment almost all of my life and there is no doubt that I will get Saber. I will make it so, for I am Tohsaka Rin. I smile as I reach my friend "Good morning Mitsuzuri-san"
To be continued...
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