Fate/STAY

Fate/Stay Night – AU-verse

24.10.2016

Two-shot

Complete

Un-beta-ed

Disclaimer: I don't own Fate/Stay Night or Fate/Stay Night Unlimited Blade Works, their creators do. This is only an experiment.

Synopsis: If a person does enough noble or ignoble deeds, they become Heroic Spirits. But if someone saves Heroic Spirits... then what are they?

Notes: This is one of the experiments I've written up some two years ago, and I am now posting it up so as not to clutter both my brain and living space. It won't be continued, as I used it more or less to rehash the characters and their reactions in a special what-if scenario. More or less chronologically written, even if sometimes not.

REASON

"What is your wish?"

Four words, so very simple, yet so incredibly important.

In any other case, this would have been a simple affair - Master and Servant expressed their wishes, which were both granted and then, they were separated, never to meet each other again. They had known it to work like that for many years. Centuries… millennia even. Yet this time, it was the first time for the Grail to witness so many Servants and Masters in front of it; and all of them curiously unhappy with the proceedings.

The last fight had been ferocious; allegiances had been shifting between the participant like live electric eels - one never knew if an ally today would strike one down tomorrow - or if not tomorrow, then the very next hour. But this little war was even more… unique. Because of one unintentional participant, who wasn't even a true Magus to begin with… and one fake Heroic Spirit who had attempted to kill him in order to end his endless torment of being a Counter Guardian.

They were here… because of one Emiya Shirou.

AGAINST…

Against all expectations, he hadn't died.

Gae Bolg should have done its work, but with the Avalon healing him - Lancer shook his head ruefully. Really he had killed the kid twice and the kid – no, Shirou – decided to heal him.

Against all expectations, he had been understood. In his long, torturous existence as a Counter Guardian, Archer had a single wish – to ger rid of his status, no matter the consequences. If they demanded his past self to die, then so be it.

But when his past self – Shirou – saw his Aria, his everything, and still defended him… he was glad. It had surprised him, the determined conviction of his younger self, and also made him long to know this Shirou better.

If only…

Against all expectations, he had turned against his orders. Caster may have instructed him into obeying, but seeing that ferocious lioness in the guise of a fragile bird made him curious of her Master. It wasn't usual for the King of Knights to be so.. devoted, and Assassin was curious just what kind of person managed that feat.

BACK

"Bring him back to us."

The Grail blinked, taken aback. It would have thought they would wish for freedom, love, wealth… but instead of that, they were unanimous in their wish:

Getting back one Emiya Shirou… alive.

…Even Counter Guardian EMIYA.

A gusty sight left the Grail's lips. "Very well." It stretched its hand, touching the corpse's forehead with one gently glowing finger as to call back one wayward soul. A wish was a wish after all… anything else would be a moot point… but the Grail couldn't help but wonder just why was this youth so important to the usually unflappable spirits to actually unanimously want to call him back.

Against all expectations, Shirou had been revived for the third time, but he truly didn't have even the faintest clue just who had wished him back. Or why. He was aware of red and blue flash, some voices, and then, his consciousness drifted away…

PAST/FUTURE

He was his past. EMIYA was his future. He had despised the weak, foolish redheaded version of himself. Or maybe he envied him? The conviction, the faith, the fire… all of them drawing him in, until he too was well and truly caught. Curiously, he didn't want to escape either.

WARRIOR

Shirou was future. And yet, he held Lancer's ideals dear to him, as if they were his own;truly, if he had lived in Cu Chulainn's time, he would probably became a legend of his own right alongside the Hound of Ulster. That girl… Rin, was intriguing, but Shirou had something within that attracted Lancer like enemy's heart did Gae Bolg. From a pitiful bystander to a warrior who could stand head to head with Gilgamesh… indeed, his transformation was breathtaking. And the lad was hopeless with girls, which amused Lancer to no end.

CONVINCTION

Nameless. Fake. Both of them pretending to be something else, grander and better than their own pitiful selves. Both trapped within that useless war and forced to participate to their bitter ends. Only, Assassin mused, the ending had abruptly switched, what with Lancer and Archer unexpectedly becoming allies and kicking that fake priest's and Gilgamesh's asses. Even he, himself, had gone against his orders - orders which should have been absolute, and yet, he refused them like yesterday's wind. She should've been feeling contrite, yet he couldn't find it within himself to be ashamed of that un-samurai-like behavior of his. What did it matter if his existence or lack thereof, was just a speculation of the masses? In all truth - EMIYA – Archer – shouldn't even have a right to exist – he was an ephemeral shard of future that perhaps may or may not pass. And yet, he still existed; in this time and space not giving any inclination that would be any different.

So why shouldn't Assassin also do the same?

INFURIATED

Tohsaka Rin was an exceptional Magus –yet not even she, with all of her knowledge, couldn't have predicted the outcome. Everything that had been a guarantee went wrong in the course of that damn war. From that blasted clock, her summoning Archer instead of Saber – an Archer, who, by the way destroyed good chunk of her living room upon his Summoning, then there was a witness to Archer's duel with Lancer and damn her soft heart for healing that fool of a classmate who was later revealed - oh irony of all ironies – to be the Master of Saber! It also didn't help that Shirou hadn't exactly wanted to follow the code. Instead, he of all things, proposed an alliance to her! And if that hadn't been enough, her Archer had some kind of a grudge against the brat.

To think all of that was only a beginning…She choked back a hysterical laugh. If only her father could see her now…Pathetic.

The semi-finale was a wild switcheroo of Servants – Archer declared his independence, she got Saber, and Shirou, the fool he was, somehow managed to Trace Avalon of all things and heal Lancer from the self-inflicted mortal wound and in process binding the joyful warrior to himself. She still didn't get that one, but she began to believe that Shirou had a special disposition for rule-breaking, concerning the Magus arts. It was like his own Mystic Code, really. She told the guy he couldn't do it, and he would find a way to prove her wrong – even if he went about it in a way that left her flustered, mind-boggled and feeling totally worthless Magus-wise.

She had followed the little brat that had attempted to rape her, leaving Shirou behind, only for the boy to get in a tiff with Archer and somehow save her hex-Servant at his own expense.

She had never seen Archer so pissed off as he had been right then. And she prayed she never would. Because right in that moment, she could clearly see just why did Gaia chose him of all people to become her personal Counter Guardian. Killing was easy, being a Hero was hard. But to be the kind of a Hero who kills his charges in order to protect them…was the hardest. And right then, she was that steel, hell-forged will in those mercury-colored eyes. She didn't know just what kind of deeds had EMIYA done in order to become a hero, even if an unsung one – he had been a sole wildcard in the deck of seven, the one with the least amount of information known about his deeds and abilities, thus presumed the weakest. Yet, the man had battled Heracles in a Berserker state and trumped him… after Saber, Berserker had been deemed to be the most dangerous power-wise, and Archer killed him. If it weren't for Berserker's multiple livers, Archer may have very well won the damned duel. And seeing Archer being pissed off at Gilgamesh – Rin would've bet all of Tohsaka's clan treasures that King of Heroes just may have had ticked off the wrong person this time.

CONFRONTATIONS

The time was a-ticking, and even if Shirou survived, the loss of prana to support Lancer had severely weakened him, as had Tracing the Avalon. When Archer found out about that little tidbit he has choked on air at the sheer insanity of the young redhead's deed. Even he wasn't so foolish as to Trace one of the S-ranked Noble Phantasms and he had been in business for… well, centuries, and there goes this brat and does the deed as if it were something as ordinary as cooking rice! Luckily, Avalon somewhat lessened the burden, but not by much. And they still had to confront Gilgamesh, off the corrupted Grail and deal with both Assassin and Rider.

Nobody was a happy camper at the prospects, especially Lancer, who wanted a bite out of Gilgamesh for what he had done to Shirou, only to find out that Archer already had the dibs on him and he would have to contend with Rider instead.

RETRIBUTION

Archer was not happy. And an unhappy Archer meant that his opponent had just drawn his death card. Gilgamesh, the so-called King of Heroes had done something very stupid when he decided to attack one Counter Guardian EMIYA.

First off, he had attacked him from behind. The coward. He didn't deserve his title. King of Heroes? Pshaw. More like King of Cowards. Secondly, he attacked Archer's prey. Well, Archer was a primary target, but still, Shirou and him were somewhat the same, even if they didn't agree with each other about the concept of being a hero.

Thirdly, He attacked Archer's ally. Shirou had been foolhardy enough to shield Archer, even if it almost killed him in the process. And Archer may have done many despicable things in the name of Gaia, but he never condoned killing his allies.

Fourth and the most damning one. Gilgamesh had attacked an innocent. With a startling clarity, Archer saw that Shirou was a victim from the entire beginning – the fire, the duel, his death, when he had been forced to fight for his survival. Shirou never wanted it. Hell, he had even saved Lancer of all people - a person who had killed him before!

And then, he still fought Archer, low on mana as he was… foolish child. He never wanted anything else but to help… even to him, Archer. In his utter stupidity, Gilgamesh never did expect that his opponent may have matched him.

So he was completely taken aback when the white-haired man snarled out the last words of his Aria.

"So as I pray…

Unlimited Blade Works!"

And then, the golden king found himself in the world that would haunt his memories even in the afterlife.

His hail of weapons was ineffectual.

The chains were broken by Kanshou and Bakuya, as if they were forged out of common ore and not the celestial gold.

IN despair, he called for the spear of EA – only managing to touch it, because the moment his hand held it, the arm holding the spear was sliced away by Bakuya.

He died; his last sight was of the unyielding silver of those mercury-colored orbs from the unsung hero he didn't know the name of.

ALLIANCE

Lancer was not amused. Rider's Master was a pathetic coward, and treating a girl, even if she was a Servant, like this piece of filth even did, severely rankled him. He clearly saw that the girl had no wish to harm him, which made the situation all the more awkward, as he didn't want to hill her either.

"Hey, you. You seriously want to serve this little douche bag?" He asked, ignoring the squawk of outrage from the said douche-bag.

The Rider paused. "No." She said slowly. "In fact, he is not even my Master to begin with."

Lancer blinked as he twirled his spear thoughtfully. "Right. Want me to help you to get rid of Command Seals?"

And the rest, as they say, was history.

Let it be said that Scatchah's lessons … had their uses, and leave it at that.

SALVATION

Saber was concerned. She hadn't been Shirou's servant for long, yet in that short time, the boy had become her friend. She wasn't fast enough to spare Rin from the molestation by that low-life rat, and she thanked the Heavens that Lancer was decent enough person to protect her, even at the expanse of his own life. Truly, Kotomine was the lowest cur to use stolen Command Seals to command him to do the suicide.

She and Shirou had arrived just in time - she freed Rin and Lancer was caught by Shirou, dark red blotch of blood spreading across Lancer's chest where his spear had thrust to his the heart.

"Rin! Can you heal him!" Shirou asked her Master urgently, but Rin was already shaking her head in negative. "No. Usually, I could, but I can't – Caster tired me out, and I still have to support Saber. If I attempted to heal him, my circuits would be damaged and I would die. I am on the verge of exhaustion as it is."

"But we could do something… Anything!" Shirou insisted, his wide golden eyes panicked as he beseeched the dark-haired Magus.

"Drop it, kid. Gae Bolg always aims true." Lancer interjected. "And I don't blame you," he nodded toward Rin. "If nothing else, I will be free of that Kotomine bastard."

Sliding against the wall, he sat down, preparing to trace a fire rune in the air –

"NO!" Shirou growled out as he straddled the surprised warrior, causing Lancer to yelp with surprise as he knocked Lancer's hand out of the air. "You can fucking give up on yourself, but I will not- Trace On!"

At first, there was nothing, but then, a gentle golden white and pale blue glow appeared in front of Shirou's torso, manifesting into a… Scabbard?

Saber choked on air when she saw it.

"Shirou, you fool." She whispered. Rin eyed her questioningly, as she kneeled beside Lancer. "What – "

"Avalon. He is tracing Avalon - and by the feel of it, it's genuine. " Saber breathed out, her green eyes wide with awe. "I hadn't know where it vanished of to, but now – "

RIn whirled toward the boy. "Shirou! Stop it this instant! It's dangerous - you could die!"

But Shirou disregarded her. Little by little, the glow intensified, until it finally solidified into material world.

"Heh. You got guts, kid." Lancer chuckled weakly as his eyes traced the ethereal scabbard with awe.

Shirou pressed the Avalon against Lancer's bleeding chest.

"Heal him. Please." He begged to the Phantasm, and after some breathless moments, when nothing seemed to change, Avalon glowed with gentle white light and they saw Lancer's body relax and his eyes shut in bliss.

"You… I wish … If you could be my Master…" He murmured wistfully, a small smile quirking his lips.

"Yeah." Shirou answered almost absentmindedly as he was straining to keep Avalon manifested.

Both of the girls yelped as the Summoning circle flashed in life under the pair's bodies and Lancer's body arched in a momentary agony.

"SHIROU!" Rin roared out, and Saber wished to do the same. Then, the Avalon vanished and the boy slumped on Lancer's now healed chest, sweating and panting, as he clutched to his right hand in agony. Lancer intercepted his body, and cradled him against his chest while he watched him as if Shirou was his most precious person in the world.

In a way, he was. Somehow, Shirou managed to circumvent all rules and not only heal Lancer, but actually bind him to himself as his Servant.

Saber shook her head bemusedly.

That Shirou…generous, lucky fool.

To be continued