Chapter Text
Sakura covers her mouth with her hand to muffle her scared cry. Outside the tent, she can hear the wind whistling eerily through the trees. She tries and fails to calm her pounding heart.
Noises clatter and screech in her head, though the nightmare is over. The sound of Berserker’s roars mixing with Tokiomi’s cries of pain…the sound of Archer’s unending howl of misery as the person who could only be his precious companion turned to mud in his arms…the sound of golden chains twisting themselves around a woman who looked just like Archer…her throat and eyes burn and only make things worse. But I won’t cry. That won’t help anybody.
A pathetic whimper bursts from her throat despite herself, and Kariya snaps awake.
“Sakura, you okay?” He reaches down from the big bed to touch her hand.
“I’m fine,” she whispers, knowing she sounds miserable. “Just—just go to sleep…”
“No way. Come on up.” He scoots over to give her room. “Tell me what happened—maybe I can help.”
Reluctantly, she climbs up and curls up beside him, comforted by how calm and still he is. The half-asleep smile on his face makes her heart a little lighter.
“I don’t want to talk about it. You’ll have bad dreams too.”
“That’s fine. Knowing it was a nightmare is good enough.” Kariya chuckles. “And don’t worry about me, okay?”
“Okay.” She fidgets and carefully avoids accidentally kneeing him in the belly.
She tries not to wake Archer up with all this moving around, but unfortunately he groans and lifts his head sleepily over Kariya’s shoulder. He blinks slowly at her, the way a lion would.
“Um…” She waves at him. “H-Hello…? Sorry I woke you up.”
“Don’t be foolish.” He yawns. “Know this: dreams have no power over you once you wake.”
Sakura nods and repeats his words in her mind. She hopes they’ll take root and replace the scary sounds. “Thanks, Archer.”
Archer nods and goes back to sleep. She can feel the bed move with his slow breathing. At least he doesn’t snore…
Kariya strokes her hair in a slow, steady rhythm. “Do you want me to sing a lullaby to you?”
She smiles at the thought. “Yes, please.”
He smiles back and begins to hum. It’s a soft, lilting melody without words, but it brings to mind geese flying against the moon, the parents guiding the goslings home. His cool fingers gentle against her hair and the soothing sound of his humming and heartbeat make her eyes droop, then sink.
This time, she dreams of wandering aimlessly through her parents’ house with Rin and Aoi, searching for something, never finding it, and being content.
---
Sakura sits in front of the blazing campfire and watches the wood blacken and hiss as the smoke curls lazily upward to meet the rising sun. Maybe we shouldn’t have gone home so soon after all. Miss Einzbern could have a cure for sad dreams…
“Hey, Sakura? Have you finished your milk?” Kariya asks, as he finishes off his cup.
“Huh? Um, yes,” she says, and places her empty earthen cup on the grassy ground. It’s whisked away into Archer’s treasury a moment later. Maybe one day I’ll get used to that…
The park is brilliant and welcoming in the light of the dawn. The dew on the grass catches the light and holds it like a bauble, before dripping off the blade with a plip. When she was lived with her parents, morning smelled like fresh linen and boiling tea; here it smells like burning wood and fresh-cut grass.
“I feel a little bad that we left without asking Rider about the banquet,” Kariya says before stretching his black turtleneck-clad arms above his head. “But then again, I don’t think any of us were in the mood to party.”
“Indeed,” Archer says as he lazily strolls out of the tent, wearing a white tunic that reaches his knees. He rubs his eyes with the speed of a turtle. “Then again, perhaps that could have saved us from our useless attempts at pleasant dreams.”
“We still slept, though, right?” Sakura tries to sound upbeat and cheerful, but her words ring false in her ears.
Kariya chuckles. “I suppose that counts for something.”
Archer looks at Sakura thoughtfully for a long moment before asking “Do you wish to talk about your nightmare now?”
“Um…not now. I don’t really remember much.”
He doesn’t seem to believe her.
Fine, I’ll distract you. “What did you dream about, Archer?”
“…I dreamt of the Forest of Cedars my companion and I once ventured through.” He shudders. “Black mud was oozing down the forest paths, twisting everything it touched.”
She sighs. “I want that dream.”
Archer mimes tossing something to her. “Very well, it is yours. No doubt you could tease a story from its strange weave.”
Kariya grins at him. “You really are half-asleep. You sure you don’t want some coffee?”
“Ugh, no. Whoever invented that foul concoction had plans for the eradication of taste. Or, alternatively, life as we know it.”
Sakura giggles and wonders if Kariya plans to trick Archer into trying a sweeter kind of coffee. Then again, Uncle Kariya had to try every blend ever before he found one Mother and Father liked…
The moment she realizes she thought of Tokiomi again, she quickly tries to distract herself. If Archer and Kariya see her discomfort, she doesn’t notice.
“Archer, you saw Saber’s Noble Phantasm, right? What’d it look like—was it pretty like her?”
Archer’s eyes glaze over before he answers, a strange softness in his voice: “She was awash in golden light, and her sword shone like a beacon in a dark sea. She destroyed Caster’s monster in one strike. ‘Beautiful’ would be an appropriate word for it, yes, as well as ‘powerful’. It reminded me of bygone times—but many minor details seem to, these days.”
“Getting sentimental in your old age?”
“Kariya, when the day comes that I do become a quivering heap of nostalgia and unrequited romance on par with you, it will be your solemn duty to defend your title.”
“A simple ‘no’ would’ve been fine, you know.”
While they snipe at each other, Sakura tries to picture what Saber’s brilliant sword must have looked like. As images of dramatic gestures and brave speeches defying Caster’s grossness dance in her head, she finds herself increasingly disappointed that she missed it. Maybe I can ask Saber to show it to me at the banquet…if Rider hasn’t cancelled it.
She continues thinking about last night’s battle as she takes a bath in vanilla-scented water (“It will calm your mind,” Archer suggests) in a golden tub the size of a Jacuzzi. The water is full of nutrients, apparently, and will make her feel better. She stares up at the tent’s sun-bathed ceiling, and tries not to think of the panic that gripped her when the taste of copper and bile rose up her throat, or the way the world became a hazy white as she fell to her knees.
I tried to help Archer, and I couldn’t…what kind of ‘Master’ would do that? She’s not sure what bothers her more, that Archer nearly vanished or she almost died.
She scrubs her face with more force than necessary, her skin tingling with a strange mix of comfort and discomfort as the soft water touches her skin. I shouldn’t think that way! He’s safe, Uncle Kariya’s safe, and I’m safe. That’s what matters now. And… She rests her hand over her heart, then down to her belly. …I don’t hurt inside anymore. I can do more Magecraft now, so Archer and Uncle Kariya won’t have to get hurt protecting me.
The water does its work: she actually dozes off and only wakes up after nearly drowning.
After getting all the water out of her nose and mouth, Sakura climbs out of the tub and puts on the white blouse and pink shorts Archer made for her. Oh, the shorts look like cherry blossoms! She spins around in delight and watches the petal-shapes bounce around her knees.
She tries not to wonder if these beautiful gifts will vanish along with Archer when the Grail War is done. After all, he promised he’d do his best to stay by her side.
As she prepares to leave the tent and tell Kariya it’s his turn, she hears a familiar rumbling voice outside. There’s only one person that voice could belong to. The sound of oxen lowing seals the deal.
After making sure she looks presentable, she slowly unzips the tent flap with a hiss that goes on forever. Her heart pounds with excitement as she goes out to meet Rider.
“So that’s where you were hiding!” Rider booms from behind her Bounded Field, looking like he had a great night’s sleep. There are no bags under his eyes, and Sakura feels more than a little jealous. “I was just talking to Archer here about having the banquet this morning instead!”
She scratches her head. “Um, but didn’t you want to see the moon?”
“I can see the moon any evening. What I don’t see very often are you and your Uncle—especially since you only recently recovered!”
“…So you were worried about me?”
Rider shrugs and grins. “It’s not every day you see a daughter defend her happiness against her own father, you know. That must have taken a lot out of you.”
Sakura wants to say Of course not and smile, but it’s obvious that won’t work on a man like Rider. She nods instead.
“Luckily, girl, there is a solution to your problem.” Rider stretches out his arms and bellows jovially “All problems seem small when you feast with friends!”
A flock of birds scatter in fright at the sound. Rider doesn’t seem to notice. He’s looking at her expectantly, in a way that reminds her of Rin. It puts her at ease, despite his…loudness.
Archer rolls his eyes. “Do not be so presumptuous, King of Conquerors. Did you forget that we have been fighting for our lives and wishes?”
“Hmm? No, not at all! But that does not mean we can’t be friends—many alliances have been forged between enemies, especially if there’s a bigger threat looming.”
Sakura thinks she knows what Rider means, but she wants to make sure. “Um, do you mean Zouken?”
“Perhaps. He may be too cowardly to come out and claim the Grail himself. But if he does come, well, it’s clear to me he cannot have it! A man who uses children as his pawns is no player at all.”
Archer smiles wryly. “I see. Then, if he used an adult as his pawn in this War, it would be acceptable?”
Rider shrugs. “That would depend on the adult.”
“Clearly,” Archer says, resting one hand on his hip, “this conversation will have to continue at the banquet. Are you intending to hold it soon?”
“Why, yes! At this rate, we’ll never have the chance if I host it at night.”
“Very well. Kariya and I will need to prepare—Sakura appears ready.”
“That’s fine. I shall see you at the Einzbern castle—it’s in that huge forest near the edge of Fuyuki, do you remember?”
“The place Caster profaned with his presence? That is acceptable.” Archer smiles at Sakura. “Now you will be able to explore a castle. Does that intrigue you?”
Sakura’s so excited she can’t speak. She nods instead. Her heart feels a little lighter already.
“Very well then, I’ll be off.” Rider heads back to his chariot, waving as he goes. “You have an hour to prepare, don’t be late!”
Sakura rushes off to find Kariya, her mind reeling with possibilities.
---
After Archer and Kariya are cleaned and clothed (Archer had to be convinced to wear his golden armor instead of the blue-and-silver suit with noodle-like epaulets he’d planned to wear), Sakura finds herself wondering if her parents felt this nervous whenever they went to parties. What if we’re late? What if we go to the wrong place? What if I get lost trying to find the bathroom? Her worries mesh with her excitement, making her a wound-up ball of jitters even as they teleport to Einzbern Castle.
Once they arrive in the courtyard, she’s immediately distracted. She turns around to view the sunlit brownstone walls that surround them, and a beautiful circular garden of white flowers that look like stars. This place looks like The Beast’s garden! She half-expects to see enchanted objects to come and escort them to their seats. What she sees instead is Miss Irisviel, Waver, Saber and Rider all sitting in the center of the courtyard, with a hefty breakfast spread between them.
“You made it, excellent!” says Rider, as he enthusiastically waves them over. “Sit, sit. We were just talking about you.”
“Gossip is unsightly,” Archer says dryly, as he sits down across from Rider and Saber. “You had best tell us how we figured into your conversation.”
Saber turns her unreadable look over to Sakura and Kariya. She smiles politely and inclines her head. “I’m pleased to see you’re in good health, Lady Sakura.”
“U-um, thanks!” Her heart skips.
Miss Irisviel laughs softly and gestures to the breakfast spread. “Come over and eat; we have fresh fruit, warm pastries, all sorts of eggs…”
The delicious aroma draws Sakura like a flame. While Kariya loads food onto their plates (she’s never seen some of these omelettes before), Rider casually explains the talk they missed.
“Well, since our agreement was that our truce would continue until our Masters were capable of challenging each other, we were just talking about how ‘challenge’ should be defined. Since the boy here isn’t really suited for combat, and the girl probably wouldn’t be in fit state to fight, we needed to find another option.”
Saber adds with a sad smile “Last night, before I defeated Lancer, he told me that his Master and Sakura had a battle of riddles instead of strength. It seemed like an appropriate compromise.”
Kariya makes a similar expression. “So he got that duel he wanted after all, huh?”
“Yes. He was truly a worthy opponent, honorable to the end. His Master has left for England, since she had no wish to grant—and apparently she heard news of her missing brother.”
The look on Saber’s face suggests that she and Irisviel had ensured Miss Sola-Ui didn’t have any problems leaving Fuyuki, which makes Sakura sigh with relief. Hopefully that scary man didn’t sneak up on her…
“Kariya, why are you going back there?” Archer pats a space on his left, the soft smack echoing. “Sit here, by me. You as well, Sakura.”
Sakura gets the feeling this isn’t just courtesy, and wonders what he’s playing at. She decides she’ll ask him later.
Someone clears their throat. She blinks and realizes she was lost in thought, halfway back to where Archer’s seated. Face hot with embarrassment, she apologizes and asks what she missed.
Waver walks over on his gangly legs and crouches down to her level. “I know I gave a bad impression when we met, but…do you want to have a go at challenging me to a riddle battle? I’ll play fair. Whoever gets three riddles correctly wins, does that sound good?”
Sakura thinks it over for a moment before shaking on it. “Okay. I won’t go easy on you!”
He laughs. “Then I won’t either!”
Saber lets out a thoughtful hum and says “This looks to be interesting. Would you two mind having an audience?”
Sakura’s gripped by stage fright for a moment. She shakes it away. Saber, Rider and Archer have probably seen billions of entertainers, why bother worrying? “Um…I guess it’s okay. What do you think, Waver?”
“It’s fine.” He sits down opposite her, and after setting her plate down she sits too. “You first.”
She’s aware that she’s being watched, maybe judged, but she keeps herself calm. This is my strength. If I play to my strengths, I can win!
After she thinks of the hardest riddle she can remember, she asks: “What stands on one leg with its heart in its head?”
Waver’s baffled expression is priceless, and judging by the muffled cough she just heard Kariya remembers this one. Rin nearly tore her hair out when Uncle Kariya told her the answer…
Unfortunately, she doesn’t get that reaction from Waver. Instead he says “…A cabbage?”
Sakura nods and tries not to feel disappointed.
Waver looks very pleased with himself. “I point without fingers, I strike without arms, and I talk without a mouth. What am I?”
“A clock!”
“Sh—Darn, you got it.”
“Hmm…how about this one: What can jump higher than a mountain?”
Waver looks like he’s about to answer, then stops. He rubs his chin thoughtfully in a way that reminds her of Rider. After a very long pause, he snaps his fingers. “Hey, wait, mountains can’t jump! ‘Anything’ could qualify, right?”
Sakura laughs delightedly. “That’s right. Anything at all!”
“Okay, then: Whoever makes me can hear me, but nobody else can. What am I?”
She turns the riddle over in her mind, thankful there isn’t a time limit.
With clenched fists, she shyly replies “…An idea?”
Waver whistles. “Close. Want to try again?”
Sakura sighs and shakes her head in defeat. “Can you tell me what it is?”
“The answer was ‘a thought’. Good try, though!”
She sighs again and looks up at the sky. She thinks of another riddle: “I can run, but not walk. Wherever we go, you’re behind me. What am I?”
She’s pleased to see that she’s stumped him again—at least, she thinks so. It’s interesting; she doesn’t feel smug about being ahead of him, just pleased. Probably because this isn’t a life-or-death match…
“Is it…your eyes?”
“Nope. It sounds like it could be, though.”
“Your ears?”
“Nope, sorry.” Can ears run…?
Waver mumbles something under his breath in frustration before throwing up his hands. “I can’t think of anything else, what is it?”
She giggles and points to her nose.
Waver’s howl of disbelief is nearly drowned out by Rider’s laughter and words of encouragement: “You two are neck and neck, boy, don’t give up now!”
“You can do it!” Kariya cheers.
Archer calls “You are in high form, Sakura! Do your best!”
Sakura notes that she and Waver are both flushed with pride. She pretends they’ll always have their Servants to support them—it’s easier than wondering how long their time together will last.
Waver clears his throat and says his final riddle: “I have rivers without fish, roads without travelers, deserts without heat and snowy lands without cold. I have canyons without depth and mountains without height. What am I?”
It’s at this moment Sakura’s mind grows blank. She asks Waver to repeat the riddle, which he gladly does, in a way that lets her hear the words and not feel stupid. It feels like it takes forever for her to understand, and even longer for her to think of an answer. She tries not to think of their audience, but it’s difficult.
Sakura finally thinks of the answer: “A book!”
“…No, sorry. Want to try again?”
She wants to, but ultimately she’s stumped. “Sorry, I give up. What is it?”
“A map.”
Sakura laughs and shakes his hand. “You win. Congratulations!”
Waver beams. “You were a great opponent.”
Kariya leads the applause, looking very proud despite her loss. Archer nods in approval, while Saber and Irisviel smile warmly.
Rider is less subdued in his congratulations. Waver gets a stupendous bear hug that lifts him straight off the ground.
“Now that that score is settled,” Archer says, gesturing lazily to Sakura to come sit by him, “I’m very curious about my fellow Kings’ reasons for desiring a dubious object like the Grail. You must have a worthy reason to attempt to steal from me, after all.”
Sakura walks over with her plate, feeling equally curious. Waver sits beside Rider, his expression unsure.
Rider doesn’t appear fazed. “Personally, I was hoping I could borrow it from you. I promise to return it after I’m finished—is that fair?”
Archer chuckles. “Consider your request denied—especially since you neglected to tell me why you desire the Grail so.”
“Ouch. Alright, alright. My wish is…” Rider pauses and stares down at his cup. He glances around in a way that reminds Sakura of a boy caught trying to steal candy.
“Your wish can’t possibly be that embarrassing,” says Saber, in a voice both stern and curious. “Go on, Rider, say it.”
Rider sighs and looks Archer dead in the eye, despite a slight flush of embarrassment. “I wish…to be reincarnated.”
Waver lets out a flabbergasted squawk. “Wait, what? I thought you wanted to conquer the world?”
Rider flicks his forehead, and Sakura watches in awe as Waver flops onto his back on impact. That’s amazing…and a little scary!
She wants to go see if he’s alright, but clearly Waver’s tougher than he looks, as he sits up and rubs his forehead grumpily.
“Whatever, do what you want,” she hears him mutter, and she’s sharply reminded of Kariya.
Rider continues, as though there was no interruption: “When I conquer the world, it will be my victory, without any Magic! We are Heroic Spirits, given this second chance to live at the cost of our freedom. And this Holy Grail War will soon end, meaning that one way or another, we’ll vanish.” He slams his fist onto his thigh. “I refuse to accept that; a brief visit of this strange, fascinating era isn’t enough! I’ll wish for a body, healthy and strong, and then I shall set about my conquest.”
Sakura eats while she absorbs Rider’s words. She hears Archer mock Rider’s wish as simple, and while she wants to chastise him for being mean, Rider’s laughter and amused retort do the job for her. And besides, her mouth is too full of crispy egg and savory vegetables for her to say anything.
“Um,” Sakura says after swallowing, “Can I…ask you a question, Rider?”
“Of course! Do my words inspire you? Do you wish to join me in my quest?”
“Well—no thank you. Sorry. But…why do you want to conquer the world? I mean, it sounds like you’d be working all the time, and if you ruled everything, you’d have nobody to fight, and since you like fighting…wouldn’t that be boring?”
Rider stares at her blankly. Then he laughs loud and long. “From the mouths of babes, eh? Well, girl, the answer is simple: I wish to have as many friends as I can hold in my heart. No other treasure could compare to that. But, you see, the world is so large, and split into countries, that clearly the only way to have as many friends as I desire is to crush those boundaries! In truth, I enjoy victory without fighting as much as victory through fighting. If the end result is that I have more friends than I had before, I am content. Do you see?”
Sakura thinks she understands, so she nods. “Thank you for explaining, Mr. Rider.”
Archer nods, looking amused. “I suppose that is acceptable. Foolish, but acceptable.”
Saber doesn’t look like she understands at all. “Rider, that wish…it’s selfish, the desire of a tyrant! What if those you fight don’t wish to be your ‘friends’? What then? And to treat people as treasures to obtain…”
Rider shrugs. “If those I face don’t wish to join me, that is fine—but now we’re enemies henceforth. That’s all. And if you don’t view people as admirable treasures, how do you view them?”
Saber’s brows furrow. “I treat people as people. People to protect, if they are my subjects and loved ones, and people to defend against, if they are my enemies. Does that satisfy you?”
Sakura frowns. Doesn’t that still make people things…?
“Hrm…I suppose.” Rider sips from his cup and sets it down with a clink. “Very well, Saber, what’s your wish?”
“I wish to rewrite my legacy, from the day I first removed Caliburn from the Stone.”
Sakura hears Kariya gasp at the same time she does. She nearly drops her fork. She finds herself looking at Saber in a different light. So Saber is…King Arthur?
She remembers Kariya gave her and Rin a book about Camelot and the Knights of the Round Table one year, a beautiful book bound in green leather with the most gorgeous oil paintings; the stories told of heroic quests, brave knights succumbing to their flaws (or rising above them), and the fall of a shining kingdom despite King Arthur’s efforts. When she and Rin thought of heroes, their thoughts eventually turned to the Knights of the Round Table, true, strong and kind.
“But…but, Saber…if you do that…”
Sakura realizes her throat is hot and itchy. She doesn’t cry. “If you don’t get the Sword…what’ll happen to the people you helped, or your knights? They could get hurt all over again!”
Saber’s smile is gentle and warm. “Have no fear. I wish only to have the opportunity to fix my rule, not the people saved or unwittingly harmed the first time.”
“…Why do you think you messed up?”
“As King, my duty was to sacrifice myself—my life—for my people. A King must uphold all virtues: truth, faith, hope, valor, selfless love, moderation, loyalty, and honor. And despite my efforts, I was unable to do so. This time, my people will see a King who will be able to accept and live with the truth, who will ensure her wife and knights’ loyalty, and will be truly selfless in her—his love of Britain and its people. This way, I’ll no longer have any regrets.”
Archer’s laughter fills the air, harsh and mocking. “You call yourself a King of Knights…and you have regrets? Come now, Saber, this must be a lie! What is your real wish?”
Saber’s mouth curls into a snarl. “A lie? What do you take me for, Archer?”
He laughs again. “Is it not obvious? I take you for a fool with an inflated sense of her flaws.”
The slap of Kariya facepalming echoes in the silence that follows Archer’s words. Sakura feels similarly.
She folds her arms over her chest. “Archer, don’t be mean! You’re a King, not a bully.”
Rider chuckles and says “There are some who would say a bully and a King are one and the same, girl.”
Sakura sniffs. “Then they’re dumb. You’re all better than that…at least, I think so.”
Archer sneers. “But my analysis is correct.”
“But me and Saber don’t get what you’re saying!”
He sighs. “I suppose you have a point. Very well. Saber, you say that you must exemplify all your country’s virtues—an admirable goal, I must admit. But who could possibly embody every virtue while still living their life—while still being human, for that matter? Even I, King of All Kings, cannot claim that feat.”
Saber picks up her cup. “Then you slacked in your duty.” She drinks deeply, then rests the cup on her lap.
“By your estimation, perhaps. But who is that duty for? After all, a King’s country is his property, and property cannot feel scorn or admiration. And Kings and their subjects lead separate lives by necessity—how can they know of your so-called ‘flaws’ without you flaunting them to all and sundry? Speaking of which, I note that ‘justice’ is absent from those virtues you mentioned. Why?”
Saber’s fingers run absently along the cup. “To be just is an action, not a virtue. The virtues feed into the duty.”
“True…to a point. Justice is itself a virtue; as King you must punish according to the crime, and therefore you must be able to see the true reasons behind the crime, and the true crime involved. You must have faith in your subject’s goodness and wickedness alike. And above all, you must understand the laws you merit out and the consequences of those laws.”
Sakura tries to understand what Archer’s saying, but it’s all flying over her head. When Rider jumps in, talking about how Kings should be both terrible and admirable in their people’s eyes, Sakura finds herself struggling further. In stories, Kings and Queens are either good and fair or bad and cruel…and even then, their people just live their lives like they don’t exist. So why does all this matter?
As Archer, Rider and Saber continue their heated debate, Sakura’s mind wanders. She thinks of the book about the Holy Grail War Kariya read to her a year ago (it feels like ages since then), and how the Grail could only choose truly Heroic Spirits, fair and strong and good. That seems to be true, but…
…But Caster summoned that huge monster, and was going to eat people. And Berserker made Father sick. How could they be good?
She tries to politely interrupt and ask the Heroic Spirits what they think, but now they’re debating even more complicated parts of Kingship, and she knows she’ll never get a word in. Disgruntled, she finishes her breakfast and carries the plate and silverware over to the dirty stack.
Just as she finishes with that (after trying very hard to not make a clatter), she feels a light touch on her arm.
She whips her head around to see not Kariya, but Irisviel. “They’re very lively this morning, aren’t they?” she asks gently, her white hair swaying in the breeze. “Why don’t you and I take a little walk, since it looks like they’ll be at it for awhile?”
Sakura wants to ask about Waver and Kariya, but she’s surprised to see that they’re both listening intently to the debate, clearly understanding perfectly. I’ll ask Uncle Kariya about it later, then. He won’t use big words and not explain what they mean.
“Okay,” Sakura whispers.
Irisviel smiles and takes her hand.
They walk in silence for a few minutes, past the beautiful blue flowers and into the halls that surround the courtyard—far enough to not have to pretend to listen to the debate, yet close enough to be within earshot if any trouble happens. She knows Kariya and Archer’ll be worried if they can’t see me. She’s very smart…
Sakura starts as she feels Irisviel’s long fingers brush against her Command Seals. It’s not a creepy touch, but it’s not accidental either, judging by the sad look in her beautiful red eyes. She slides her hand free, as if to reassure Sakura. It almost works.
“Sakura…may I ask you something?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Since we now know Saber and Rider’s wishes…what would you wish on the Grail?”
She’s been dreading this question. She stares down at the ground and admires the smooth, grey-and-white speckled stone beneath their feet. Thankfully, Irisviel doesn’t seem to want an answer right away.
“…Well, I guess if I had to choose one wish…it’d be that Archer could stay with me longer. Not forever, but…well…”
Irisviel’s gentle laugh is as beautiful as her smile. “Don’t worry, I understand! But, you know, you don’t really need the Grail for that wish to come true.”
Her heart drums in excitement. “Really? You mean it?”
“Of course! Since Archer’s a Heroic Spirit, you can make another contract—but you wouldn’t be able to use the Grail as the stabilizing source. It would have to be you who maintains Archer’s form. That would be difficult, but it wouldn’t be impossible.”
It feels like a whole world of possibilities has opened up. Sakura absorbs this news silently, smiling so widely her cheeks start to hurt. Archer will be so happy when he hears this! Or at least, I think he’ll be happy…Uncle Kariya might complain a little, though, but that’s okay…
“I guess,” she says slowly, “this means I have to think of a new wish, right?”
“You don’t have to right away, if you don’t want to.”
“Good. Um…Irisviel?”
“Yes?”
“Do you find it weird that the Holy Grail summoned Caster? I-I mean, he summoned that monster at the Mion River, and it was going to hurt people! And Berserker…if the Grail’s supposed to only summon Heroes, then why—”
Before Sakura can say any more, she finds herself enveloped in a gentle hug. She feels Irisviel’s hair brushing against her neck and back, and can only think of Aoi.
“Oh, Sakura…I understand, this must be so strange to you. Sometimes Heroic Spirits don’t deal well with the era they’ve been summoned in. It’s so different from their time that they don’t know how to handle it. And as for Berserker…he couldn’t help what Class he was, that was beyond his control. And with the Mad Enhancement, he probably didn’t know he was hurting your father. Does that make him a bad person?”
Sakura sniffles and shakes her head.
“That’s right. And besides, since Berserker is gone and I used my Healing Magecraft, your father is on the mend. There’s no need to worry about him any more.”
“I’m not worried, I’m angry,” she says, her voice muffled by Irisviel’s red silk shirt.
Irisviel’s body trembles as she laughs. “I suppose there’s no helping that. Since I’m an only child—as is my daughter, Illya—I’ve never had to deal with what you’ve gone through. But I can say that I hope you and your family can remain together after this War is over.”
“…Thanks, Miss Irisviel.”
After another comforting squeeze, Irisviel steps back to give Sakura her space. Sakura notices that her hands are curled a little unnaturally, but says nothing. She doesn’t want to upset a woman so gentle, after all.
Irisviel looks down at her thoughtfully. “You know, now that I think about it…it is odd that someone like Caster was summoned. A Heroic Spirit wouldn’t kidnap children, after all…”
Sakura isn’t too surprised. “So the Grail made a mistake, right?”
“Perhaps, but…the Grail is omnipotent, it should know on instinct which Heroic Spirits to summon. And it’s never made a mistake before…”
“Even if it didn’t mess up before, that doesn’t mean it couldn’t. That’s what Mother or Miss Sola-Ui would say.”
Irisviel takes Sakura by the hand again and leads her back to the courtyard. “We need to tell everyone about this. This could be important!”
---
When they return to the courtyard, an interruption is clearly needed.
Saber’s golden blade is pointed at Archer’s throat, while Archer’s silver-and-emerald halberd rests near her side. Rider looks too amused at the imminent battle to stop them. Thankfully, Waver and Kariya are out of harms way, with several flowerbeds between them and the Servants.
“What happened, Uncle Kariya?”
He chuckles nervously. “Well, Rider just called Saber a little girl, and Archer…he laughed at her anger.”
Sakura sighs in disappointment. “I thought he listened to me!”
Archer smirks—clearly he heard her. “On the contrary, I did. But you were elsewhere, and my pride was at stake—”
“You mean my pride,” Saber says, her voice cold and brittle. “You and Rider were the ones insulting me.”
“I didn’t intend to insult you,” interrupts Rider. “My plan was to convince you to abandon the martyr’s life you lead.”
“If I’m to be called a martyr for protecting others, I will gladly take that title. Perhaps I will wish for something else—but my people’s happiness is still my highest priority.”
Rider lets out a gusty sigh and shrugs. “I guess I’ll let you carry that mantle, then. You seem determined enough.”
Archer’s Gate collects his halberd, and he strolls over to Kariya and Sakura. “Indeed, why argue over such trivialities? Saber, I believe your path is the correct one—for you, that is. I will enjoy seeing your fight to the end.”
Saber smiles wryly. “Then you will give me the Grail?”
“Yes…if you become one of my subjects, as Sakura and Kariya have.”
Rider laughs derisively. “From your words earlier, I thought getting that status would be nearly impossible!”
Archer laughs back—it’s an unpleasant sound. “You were correct the first time. Tell me, how did your Master summon you?”
“…Oh, I see. So that’s how it is. Well, the boy stole my relic from that other Master, Kayneth—the one you killed. He risked life, limb and reputation to participate in this Holy Grail War, as a conqueror should!”
Archer inclines his head to Waver (who Sakura notes looks torn between embarrassment and gratitude). “That sounds worthy of a short tale or two. Fair enough.” He looks to Saber. “And what of your Master?”
“Go ahead,” Irisviel urges gently, when Saber looks unsure.
“…Very well. My Master excavated Excalibur from my final resting place at Cornwall. The process took years, but she never gave up. What I find most noteworthy is that she never once defiled my grave, though she could have if desperation overruled her sense. Still, with hard work and patience, she found Excalibur and used it to summon me.” Saber looks at Irisviel fondly. “I could not ask for a better Master.”
Irisviel beams with happiness, her cheeks flushed with delight. “Oh, Saber…!”
Sakura suspects that what Saber said isn’t quite true, but seeing Irisviel so happy makes her reconsider. They’re really a perfect team…
Archer nods. “Hmm, I see. A pleasant beginning for a Master-Servant partnership—which is a rare thing for us.”
“Now it’s your turn, Archer,” Rider says, still looking unconvinced. “But can you top that?”
“Surely you mean ‘can Sakura top that’,” Archer replies coldly. “And I believe she can. Her father gave her to the Matou family to serve as their heir, and be instructed in Magecraft. Instead, she found herself trapped in the bowels of the mansion, nearly drowning in Mana-draining worms. After two days of this torment, the Grail bestowed Command Seals on her, saving her from a cruel un-life. But even before those Command Seals appeared, she fought the worms with all her power.”
“I figured that was the case,” Rider says. His expression is uncharacteristically gloomy. “What then?”
Sakura takes up the thread of the story, not wanting to be left out. She tells of how she made her deal with Zouken, how she trained tirelessly, how her parents had hidden some gems for her to use, and how even when her Magic Circuits burned from the strain, she never let Zouken see her cry.
She runs out of breath, and Archer takes her place.
“When Zouken wanted her to summon me at midnight—the usual time for a summoning, but no time for a weary child to be awake without mishap—Sakura took the initiative and decided to summon me on her own. Unfortunately, my relic—and the Summoning Circle—was in the Worm Pit, where she had refused to venture a year hence. Despite her understandable terror, she and Kariya crept down regardless.”
The dramatic pause isn’t really needed, but the rapt attention the others are paying them pleases Sakura.
“Once she began the Summoning, however, the worms awakened from their slumber and attacked. Despite their ruthless biting and attempts to burrow into her flesh, with Kariya’s help she finished the incantation. When I arrived, she was still standing tall, despite all that had befallen her.
“So,” Archer says grandiosely, sweeping his hand toward Rider and Saber, “do you still believe becoming my subject is ‘that easy’?”
Sakura doesn’t know if she wants to sink into the earth in embarrassment or float into the sky with her newly inflated ego. She settles for staring bashfully at the ground.
“Um, Sakura,” Kariya says, sounding equally embarrassed, “when you two came back, you looked like you had something important to say…”
“Oh, that’s right!” Irisviel claps a hand to her cheek in surprise. “I was distracted. Sakura, could you…?”
Sakura eagerly explains her theory about the Grail, while Irisviel interjects with her own ideas. Thanks to Archer’s words or simple curiosity, she has a rapt audience. Waver in particular looks deeply concerned, and Saber seems torn between agreement and objection. Sakura waits for an interruption that never comes.
When she and Irisviel finish, there’s a long stretch of silence.
Rider’s the first to speak up. “So, in other words, you believe the Grail to be corrupted? Hmm…it’s possible. But what do you plan to do about it?”
Here we go… “If-If the Grail’s corrupted, then nobody should get it, right? It let Caster have a nasty Master, and summon a monster he shouldn’t have been able to—what would something like that do to a wish?”
“Only the summoning may be blackened,” Saber says thoughtfully. “The wish-granting device itself may be untarnished.”
“I don’t know…” Irisviel rubs her arm in a nervous gesture. “It has two parts, the ‘key’ to the Grail, and the Grail itself. The ‘key’ hasn’t been compromised—everything is going according to the ritual.”
Waver’s brows furrow. “Then it’s got to be the main part that’s causing the trouble. We need to destroy the ‘key’ first—to stop the sickness from spreading.”
“Exactly, boy! But then we’ll have to wait until it materializes—there’s a few days left until that happens.”
Kariya fidgets with his turtleneck. “Maybe, Rider. But what if the Grail accelerates the time? Think of what Caster and his Master did while they were…running amuck. Since a blood sacrifice is needed to wake the Grail, Caster might’ve been summoned for that reason.”
Sakura shudders. Everyone else looks equally disturbed.
“…Maybe Assassin knew about this,” Waver says with a look of slow realization. “That might’ve been why he—they—were at Caster’s base, Rider!”
Archer starts. “You mean to say that foolish mongrel survived Berserker’s attack?”
Rider nods. “Just barely. Apparently he could create multiple bodies when he was ‘killed’—a clever trick. Unfortunately for him, we found him in the sewers Caster called home—from the looks of it, he was using Caster’s victims as a mana source. That was unacceptable enough, and he was so weak and starved it felt best to put him out of his misery.”
Sakura can’t help but feel sad, for some reason. “How do you know you killed him?”
“Haha! Good question, girl. He—or should it be ‘they’?—faded to dust, as we Heroic Spirits do in the end.”
“…Oh. You didn’t…hurt them, did you?”
Rider shakes his head. “No, their death was quick, and as honorable as I could manage. They faced my army—one can’t get more heroic than that.” He smiles fondly. “You’re a gentle child, as you should be.”
Sakura takes that as a compliment.
“In any event,” Archer says, “we need a plan of attack in case the Grail does choose to appear earlier than expected.”
The plan is hashed out over tea (coffee for Waver and Kariya), as soft clouds float overhead in an intensely blue sky. Sakura watches the proceedings with a lighter heart. I guess Kings can work together after all…
---
“I wish the Grail would hurry up,” Sakura says a few days later.
Archer chuckles dryly from his sunning spot on one of the wood chairs. “You will regret those words soon enough. We may have a plan, but plans often go awry.”
“Well aren’t you a ray of sunshine today,” Kariya says, curled up in another chair with a literary magazine.
After the Banquet of Kings, it was agreed that everyone should lie low and wait for the Grail’s key to appear. A good idea in theory, but Sakura finds herself longing for an ambush, a sneak attack at night, a monster infestation, or all three—anything to break the boredom she’s dealing with. Even Rider showing up to fine-tune the plan again would be welcome. It’s amazing to her that Archer and Kariya can be so…calm.
“I don’t really want the Grail to come, I’m just bored.”
Silence.
Sakura turns lazily in a circle, watching her purple dress and white petticoat catch a passing breeze.
“…I guess I’ll go find something to do.”
“Mmm.” Kariya sets the magazine down with a thwap. “Hey, wait a minute—who had to tell the Church about the Grail again?”
“Saber and her Master.” Archer stretches languidly, his muscles coiling and uncoiling under his white shirt. “Fear not, we have no responsibilities to chase us down.”
Ugh, you’re both so lazy! Sakura pouts and marches off toward a patch of flowers. She entertains herself for awhile trying to make flower chains, but her failure only makes her more annoyed and bored. She sprawls out on the grass and watches the clouds drift by.
She feels the ground jolt a little beneath her, and finds herself staring up at Kariya.
“Hello, Princess of the Bored Kingdom.”
She smiles. “Hello, Lord of Laziness.”
“No, no, that’s Archer, not me.” He sits down beside her with a soft groan. “Are you worried about the plan?”
“No. Um, should I be?”
“…I don’t think so. Worrying is a grownup’s job.”
Something is gnawing at her, and she decides to speak up. “Uncle Kariya? Is it—is it alright to be selfish?”
He looks at her in surprise, then lowers his head in thought. He looks older, sadder. “…Well, I guess it depends. If you’re trying to make yourself happy and purposely hurting people, then it’s bad. But if you’re trying to make yourself happy without hurting others, then it’s good.”
“…Oh.” She curls up onto her side. “Then what if you made somebody make a promise they didn’t know they could keep?”
“Like what?”
She bites her lip. “Making them promise they could stay longer.”
Kariya lets out a gust of air and pulls her into her arms. “Sakura, you listen to me. There’s nothing wrong with wanting more time with those you care about. It may happen, it may not, but either way, you’re not a bad person for wanting that. Do you understand?”
She nods, but she her chest still feels tight with worry. “…Okay.”
---
When night falls, Sakura finds her reading interrupted.
“Looks like the Grail is early after all,” Kariya says, as she steps outside the tent. “Do you see the flares over by the theatre?”
She follows his pointing finger and sees the yellow and red flares popping in a flurry in the distance. “That means somebody found it, right?”
“Yep. Now all Archer has to do is meet up with Saber and Rider over there, and destroy the key.”
Sakura sighs deeply. “I still want to go. I can help!”
Kariya curls his arm comfortingly around her shoulder. “I’m sure Waver feels the same way, though he says he’s not a strong Mage—but if you think about it, only Heroic Spirits would really have the firepower to deal with something like the Grail. And what if that scary guy you saw at the Hyatt was there, and tried to kill you?”
“We could take him!”
“You know, maybe we could. I don’t want to find out, though.”
Archer looks splendid in his armor, as the campfire crackles and illuminates him. “I see you had a pleasant rest, excellent. Now, before I depart, I have something for you…”
Out of the Gate of Babylon comes a pair of stud earrings, gold with ruby lining the edges and a magnet on the back. He tosses one to Sakura, and attaches the other to his left ear. The dangling, square earring hangs lonely and mismatched on his right.
“Why did you take that gold one out?” Sakura asks. “You clash now!”
“A King’s attire never clashes. These earrings are communication devices. If you wear one, and I the other, we can keep in contact even over long distances.”
“Thanks, Archer!” …They still clash, though.
Kariya helps her clip the earring on—it feels a little heavy, and she resists the urge to rub her earlobe.
“How does it feel?” Kariya asks, as he moves beside Archer to get a better look.
“…Itchy? But it’ll go away soon.” She smiles and tucks a few strands of hair behind her ear. “Actually, I feel very grown-up!”
Archer chuckles. “As you should—it will be your job to inform me of any trouble at our base. I’m counting on you.”
She watches as Archer gives Kariya’s shoulder a reassuring squeeze (Kariya blushes) and whispers something in his ear. It reminds her a little of her parents, and she tries not to miss them. Mother and Rin are safe, and Father must be too. I’ll go see them later.
Archer interrupts her reverie by saying “We should test the earrings, to ensure they work properly. Go behind the tent, then speak.”
Sakura does so, the grass brushing wetly against her feet. She sees Archer and Kariya’s shadows across the tent’s illuminated fabric. The sound of Archer's voice emitting from the earring is odd, but she gets used to it quickly. She runs back to Archer's side to see him off.
Archer kneels down to her height. “Do not hesitate to use your Command Seals. Doubtless neither of us will need them, but as a precaution…”
“Okay.” She instinctively traces the two remaining.
Archer looks down at her silently, a calm expression on his face. His fingers clench and unclench, as if he wants to reach out to her. But of course, he doesn’t.
“I will return soon.” His grin boosts her confidence, if only slightly. “You needn’t stay awake on my account.”
"Okay. Be safe, Archer."
"And you as well." He departs in a flurry of gold.
It’s going to be a long night, even if she sleeps. She can feel it.
---
Sakura and Kariya sit by the fire, fading in and out of a restless sleep. Occasionally Archer “calls” her, giving her brief snippets of the action (“Rider and Waver are here, Saber is late”, “Saber is here now, the search is on”). In turn, she tells him everything is boring and she wishes she was there, which makes him laugh wryly.
She can hear bits and pieces of other things from Archer—the sound of armor clanking, Rider and Saber talking, or Waver trying to keep up with the Heroic Spirits. It’s boring, but she’s content enough.
Then the worms arrive.
They’re subtle—they barely make a rustling sound as they stop in front of her Bounded Field. In the flickering light of the fire, and the cloud-shrouded moon, she can barely see them at first. Then the clouds recede, and she can see them, the white light gleaming off their slimy bodies, the squishing sounds the worms make as they squirm atop each other and crawl around the Bounded Field’s edges.
“Uncle Kariya,” she whispers hoarsely, shaking him awake with trembling hands. “Uncle Kariya, they’re here!”
Kariya snaps awake and immediately assesses the situation. He grabs a burning branch off the fire and hands a smaller stick to Sakura.
“Sakura,” Archer says, making her jump, “we found the Grail. Forgive me if I woke you—”
“—The worms are here,” Sakura says, trying to keep her voice steady. “They can’t get past the Bounded Field, but they’re trying.”
Archer growls. “We will end this quickly, then. Keep calm and stay there.”
“…Okay.” Her giggle is forced and harsh on her throat. “Why would I leave?”
Archer’s chuckle sounds equally forced, but at least he isn’t abandoning the plan.
Sakura’s heart sinks like a stone when Zouken appears from the shadows to stand beside his wriggling Familiars, his cane stumping wetly on the ground. I should’ve known…I broke our promise, and now…
“This wasn’t part of the deal, girl,” he rasps, his black eyes narrowed in anger. “Giving me the Grail ensured your freedom, not destroying it. Then again, since you summoned your Servant without my permission, I should’ve known you were a two-timing thief.”
“The only two-timer here is you, Zouken,” Kariya says, his voice harsh with hate. “Come any closer, and—”
Zouken laughs, the sound grating to the ears. “Even in this state I can break you in an instant. I thought you’d learn some skills in this War—clearly you’re a failure to the end.”
“That’s not true!” Sakura stomps forward, shaking with anger. “Uncle Kariya’s been protecting me all this time, and he took on a Master. You just hid in your house like a coward!”
“And what of you, girl? You’re letting your Servant do your dirty work!” Zouken’s voice drops to an eerie drone. “Even if you destroy the key, the Grail itself will still be out there. It will bide its time, carry the energy it already amassed, and begin the Grail War anew in another sixty years. You’re wasting your Servant’s mana.”
Behind Zouken, Sakura sees someone—two someone’s—creeping behind him. It could be a trick of the light, but she has no time to doubt. We need to distract him…
“What makes you think we didn’t know that?” Kariya looks eerily similar to Zouken when he smirks. “There are three places for the Grail to appear—one is at the Ryuudou Temple, and that’s where the ‘main Grail’ has to be. What better hiding place for a Holy Relic than hallowed ground?”
“That’s right…surprisingly. But destroying the Greater Grail is tougher than you think. If you don’t want to waste your time more than you already are, destroying the key to the Grail would be best.”
Faintly, Sakura hears Archer relaying this information to the others. She hopes Zouken won’t hear.
Kariya scowls. “How do we know you’re not lying?”
“You can’t. If you think the Grail is corrupted, give it to me, and—”
“No,” Sakura and Kariya chorus.
The worms crawl with renewed fervor, looking for a way in.
“No?” Zouken’s fleshy lips curl into a fearsome scowl. “Very well. I need a new body anyway.”
He raises a hand. The worms surge forward, mandibles clicking and gnawing.
The Bounded Field tears like wet paper.
Sakura and Kariya scream and wave their burning branches back and forth. Some of the worms catch fire, stinking of sulfur. The rest evade the flames easily; they circle and press them back toward the tent. Sakura and Kariya continue swinging, the flames crackling on contact with slimy flesh.
Sakura gets an idea. She slams her stick against the tent. Flames lick the fabric and crackle. But…it’s not burning. Of course not. Why would Archer put a fireplace near a tent if it couldn’t burn?
Her hands already feel like lead, and she drops the stick with trembling fingers. Kariya shields her with his body. Fumbling in her pockets, she finds the bloodstone.
She tosses it at the biggest clew, shouting “Blitz frei!” at the top of her lungs.
Green light erupts.
Crisped worm fragments spatter everywhere. The remainder scatters in terror at the light and sound—until Zouken urges them forward again. The fire is dying. There are more worms than Sakura thought.
Cold panic rushes through her chest. She runs to the fire, hoping to rekindle it—
—And Zouken grabs her. He forces her to the ground. She’s on her belly, with his knee digging into her back and his fingernails scraping against her face.
“Order your Servant to bring the Grail here.” His sickly-sweet breath is hot on her neck. “Do it now. Or your Uncle will be eaten alive.”
Archer’s voice rises. “Sakura! Sakura, you mustn’t—”
Zouken unhooks the earring and crushes it. Hot blood trickles down her neck.
She screams and struggles, but her hands only claw at dirt. She tries to make the black tendrils again, but she’s too scared to focus. Pain throbs from her back. I shouldn’t have disobeyed him…Uncle Kariya’s getting hurt because of me. And Archer…Archer’s working so hard for nothing. He’s going to vanish, because I messed up. The thought hurts. I didn’t get to hear what made this era interesting. Maybe I don’t deserve to, because…
…I’m no Master.
Zouken’s gnarled fingers stroke her hair. “Do as your told,” he says softly, as though she’s a pet, “and this pain will end. You can stay with Kariya and be part of the Matou clan’s glorious future. You’ll have a family again…”
Burning tears slide down her cheeks. She lets out soft, groaning cries, her world swimming in night-black and star-blue. His lies sound true to her weary ears.
She’s about to give up…until her eyes rest on her ring. The bloodstones and aquamarine gleam softly in the starlight, as though asking Is this what a Tohsaka would do? Is this what Archer’s Master and subject would do? Is this what Sakura, the hero of this story, would do?
No, she answers, and her heart soars with courage.
She focuses her thoughts on her Command Seals, imagining a twining bond of light going from them to Archer. Archer, please destroy the Grail. And please come back to me!
The Command Seals vanish like smoke. Zouken lets out a wheezing chuckle. For a moment, she lets him relish his victory.
She thinks of black tendrils pushing Zouken’s head down toward the ring. She hears him grunt in surprise.
With all her heart, she cries aloud:
“Gib…mir…Licht!”
She squeezes her eyes shut and savors Zouken’s howl of pain and rage. He lurches off her. She can faintly see the ring’s blue light behind her eyelids as she crawls away from him. She opens her eyes in time to see Kariya’s stick crack against Zouken’s head. She runs toward a nearby tree, the sound echoing in the park.
Unfortunately, the worms are still here. They squirm forward, an endless mass eager for meat. She hears Kariya let out a gasp of horror, and doesn’t turn to look.
Get up a tree. She scrambles up the nearest pine, wincing as her hands and knees scrape against the bark. Sap clings to her palms. She gets to the first branch, and rests against it. Taking a hoarse breath she yells:
“You’ll never get the Grail, mongrel!”
“No!” Zouken’s voice is harsh with desperate anger.
From down below, she sees that he’s making a new body out of worms. Kariya’s busy crushing any within reach.
Sakura raises the ring, prepares to cast again—but someone beats her to it.
“Intensive Einäscherung.”
…Father?
A burst of flame envelops Zouken’s half-made body. He can’t speak, but Sakura can see him rolling desperately on the ground, clawing at his skin. It looks and smells horrible, but she can’t look away.
From the wreckage she sees something puny and pale wriggling free of the burning body. “He—it’s still alive, Father!”
“Kirei…could you…?” Tokiomi asks faintly. She can hear him and the Kirei person slowly coming closer.
“Of course,” says a deep, smooth voice similar to her father’s. “A lost soul such as this one should be put to rest.”
“Good. I will leave it to you.”
The priest Kirei begins chanting: “I will kill. I will let live. I will harm and heal…”
Sakura feels her heart begin to slow. She breathes in and out, relishing the knowledge that she’s alive.
Something invisible lands beside her on her branch, and she knows its Archer. “You misused a Command Seal,” he admonishes, his voice sounding oddly far away.
“Sorry.” She stares down at the back of her hands. “Do you…want to make another Contract?”
“We may not need to, necessarily, but…yes. I wish to be corporeal by your side again.”
Sakura lets out a surprised laugh. “Shouldn’t it be more…um…dramatic?”
“We have been marinating in drama this evening. And I wish to see the joy you will obtain with my own eyes, without worrying needlessly about vanishing. You should be honored that you’ll be further graced by my presence.”
The knowledge that he wants to be with her after all is more heartening than it should be. She wipes her eyes with her sleeve and begins the ritual.
She doesn’t stutter or miss a word. When Archer reappears in a burst of golden flecks, she sighs in relief that he’s not too badly wounded; he may be covered in bruises and scratches here and there, but he’s in one piece, and that’s what matters.
Archer smirks at the scene below. “At last, it appears the world is free of Zouken Matou. We should hold a holiday.”
The tree limb shakes with her borderline-hysterical laughter. It stops once she runs out of air.
She doesn’t expect Archer to rest his hand on her head proudly. The touch is hesitant at first, but soon she feels his fingers relax against her hair. The warmth from him spreads downward, and she hopes her face isn’t too red.
“Well done,” he says, his voice gentler than usual.
She can’t stop smiling.
---
When Kirei takes them to the Fuyuki Church, Sakura can barely stand. Kariya brings her to a dark room filled with little cots and tucks her in one by the open window. She hears Kirei place someone else in the cot next to hers. Kariya goes with Archer to talk to Kirei just outside, the old wood door creaking softly behind him.
“Sakura…are you alright?” Tokiomi asks, his voice faint.
“Uh-huh. What about you?”
“I’ll manage.” There’s a rustling sound. “You do have great potential. I’m…very impressed.”
Sakura can’t turn to look at him. “Thank you.”
She hears Kirei say something about hunting down a Mage Killer, and she wonders if it’s the monster from the hotel. Kirei’s steps retreat down the hall, the thudding sound more machine than man.
“I’ll trust the Tohsaka legacy to you and Rin.” Tokiomi chuckles wearily. “Just don’t ruin the house while you practice…”
She turns to face him then, sharply aware of his bone-pale skin, haggard body and graying hair. Reluctantly, she reaches out and touches his outstretched hand. It’s too cold.
“Good night, Father.”
---
“So,” Waver says the next afternoon, as they sit at the garden outside Fuyuki Church. “How long do you plan on being Contracted with Archer?”
Sakura fidgets on the wooden bench. “We’re going one year at a time. I don’t want to cage him, or the other way around.”
Waver smiles. “That makes sense. I’m happy for you.”
“…I’m sorry about Rider.”
He sighs, long and loud. “Yeah. I mean, he knew what he was getting into, destroying the Grail. He was laughing when—it happened. Still, it…it hurt to see him go. Did Archer tell you about what happened with Saber?”
She shakes her head. “He doesn’t want to talk about it. Did she…?”
“I think Miss Einzbern’s backup took her Command Seals.” He shudders. “Thankfully, Excalibur was already powered, so even if he wanted the Grail, that was impossible. Saber vanished after she struck the Grail’s key.”
“Oh.” Sakura’s heart sinks. “Well…I hope she…” The words don’t come out right, so she stops talking.
“Yeah. Me too.”
They watch a plump mother bird carry a worm to her chicks. It seems strange that things could be so…peaceful. Yellow and white flowers sway in a gentle breeze; the sun dapples the trees, decorating the grass in golden light. This is truly a place for contemplation and peace.
“How’s your father doing, anyway?”
She doesn’t want to answer this, but she knows she’ll have to eventually. “Father Risei says there’s not much time. Berserker took a lot out of him. But…I’ve talked with him some more. He said he’s proud of me.”
“Good. Uh, well, not good that he’s—you know—”
Sakura smiles sadly. “I know. I don’t want to see him die, but…we’ve settled things, and he helped me. I guess…I guess I’ll have to be okay with that.”
Silence stretches between them.
“I’m going to do some traveling, I think,” Waver says, stretching his gangly limbs. “I want to see the world before I go back to the Clock Tower.”
“So you can help Rider conquer the world when you summon him again?” she asks eagerly, smiling from ear to ear.
Waver laughs loudly and doesn’t answer.
“I might go too,” she says, once Waver’s calmed down. “To the Clock Tower, I mean. Maybe I’ll ask Miss Sophia-Ri to make me her apprentice. Or maybe I’ll stay here, and learn with Rin from Father’s library. There’s lots of things I can do!”
“I’ll look forward to seeing you again, regardless.”
They shake hands one last time. Waver’s grip is firmer now.
She’s about to say I’ll miss you too when she hears Kariya calling for her. “Ah, sorry, I have to go! Goodbye!”
“No problem, see you later,” Waver calls, as she runs off toward the direction of Kariya’s voice.
He and Archer are waiting for her at the front door of the church, next to a marble statue of Mary. They look like two boys with a surprise they can’t wait to unveil. Sakura smiles and looks around, trying to figure out what’s going on.
“Well? What’s going on?” she asks, shifting eagerly from foot to foot.
There’s a soft crunch of gravel behind her, and she whips around to see the source.
“Sakura,” Aoi says with unrestrained affection, her arms wide. She’s wearing her favorite light green dress, and Sakura thinks she’s never looked more beautiful.
“Sakura!” Rin yells and rushes forward for a hug. They topple onto the grass together, both shaking with laughter.
Sakura winces at the green stains that are already covering Rin’s pristine white shirt and red skirt, but quickly forgets about them when her sister stares at her Command Seals.
“Wow,” Rin breathes, tracing the red petals reverently. “They’re so pretty, Sakura!”
She means to say something humble, but instead she says “Thank you very much…”
Rin helps her back up and starts picking grass out of her hair; she asks question after question about who “the glittery guy” is, and how the Holy Grail was, and about Tokiomi, and on and on. Sakura fields them as best she can, her words tripping over each other.
“Now, Rin,” Aoi chides, “let your sister breathe for a moment.”
Her mother’s gentle arms scoop her up, and Sakura rests her head on her mother’s shoulder contentedly. She feels rather than sees Rin hugging Aoi’s middle. The familiar scent of hyacinths fills the air.
Tears prick at her eyes, and she lets them fall. She’s unsure if she’s crying, laughing, or both. It doesn’t matter. Mother feels so…warm.
Archer grins and casually leads Kariya away. “Let them have their moment, mongrel.”
“Thank you for the ring, Mother,” she says softly. “It saved me.”
“I’m glad.” Aoi holds her a little tighter. “Welcome home, Sakura.”
Sakura closes her eyes and smiles. “…Yes. I’m home.”