A/N: Welcome friends, for my second attempt at publishing an idea. How this process happened? Well, I had some story ideas. Then others. However, I didn't feel satisfied until I stumbled into this. I mean, Waver as a participant of the Fifth Holy Grail War has probably been published before, but I wanted to make some of my objectives clear while developing this story:
1. This is going to be a story focused in Gray as Saber, a reincarnation of King Arthur and a Demi-Servant. She will struggle through the story to find the power to fulfill her ideals in a context where she isn't burdened by her crown (by the context she is inserted, not her conscience).
2. She will have all of her powers, and she won't problems supplying herself with prana, because of her reincarnated magic core.
3. Some things at the start will be similar to the novel, like every other route, but will change into something completely different as we keep going.
4. As Waver will summon a different servant, some of them will be different from the original cast of characters (minority)

Well, I hope that helps with some questions. If you have others, ask away.

Disclaimer: I do not own Fate, or any Nasuverse content. Those rights are exclusive to Type-Moon.

Many years had passed. A war had been fought. Not one of conquests or might. It was simply of death and destruction. People had fallen to the ground. All of them, her followers. They had fallen because of betrayal. A betrayal that was caused by her…

No. It was not time for self-pity. Things had happened. Her life was at an end, and she just wanted some rest... Maybe it was time for her to respite.

"I think… I will… sleep much longer… this… time…" She says in farewell. Her knight had waited until the very end for her to fade away. He looked sad. She wanted to say that he shouldn't. However, she felt her consciousness wouldn't last for her to say anything.

'Farewell, Bedivere…'

And the king was no more.

FATE

Many years had passed. Britain had been torn asunder and completely overrun by barbaric tribes, flourishing the Anglo-Saxon regimes. However, people did not forget the actions of a knight-king, who brought an age of peace for a crumbling nation, that would fall no matter what anyone did. Even if the people did betray Arthur in the end, they would still remember gratefully for the one that had risen to fight for them, when all hope was lost…

However, the king didn't die. He lived on, in another vessel. A vessel that existed almost fifteen hundred years later. The child born in a village that wished to have their king reborn. The figure known as king Arthur was not accessible in the Throne of Heroes, even if he did exist there. However, the time axis did not permit it. Until his death, the Heroic Spirit known as Arthur Pendragon is just a dream… but not really.

FATE

Waver Velvet was NOT loitering in his office. Even if he had spent all day working, he still needed to send some reports to the people responsible for Spiritual Summoning Department. He still had his kings relic, but… he didn't know if he should do such a thing. He would feel like a hypocrite in front of his pupil. Even so, he couldn't feel selfish. He needed his best gun, and that gun was his servant from the previous war. He wouldn't make a fool of himself this time. Not after making Atrum Galliasta withdraw the war (with no short amounts of insults thrown his way.)

He didn't take that decision lightly. If it wasn't for Gray convincing him to enter, he would remain indecisive of it. However, she convinced him to go. And she would go with him. Of course, he couldn't turn her down. First, that he was unable until this day to win an argument, and second, because he wouldn't count himself so lucky as to escape from this alive with his meek magical talent.

He just wrote that he had an artifact. Slumping himself on his couch, he lit a cigar and started smoking. He wasn't much of smoking indoors, but he needed something to relax. It's been 10 years, and could still feel the same nervousness that his younger self felt. Of course, he was now past that stage of his life, thinking of himself as talented as any other magus could be, even if not having any magic heritage at all. Wiser. Greatly aware of who he is, but still having pride over his achievements. A low ranking mage, now, a Lord of the Clock Tower. He earned that because of his extreme intelligence. And that is enough for him. His deductive skills, greater than those of others, was his weapon to reach this post. He didn't need more than that.

He could hear the creak of his office door open, and the steps that accompanied them. Straightening himself up on his chair, he looks at the visitor, expecting his pupil.

And he was right. Gray. She wore her favorite gray hood, with a black furred cape. She also used her normal uniform. Her green eyes seemed to glitter, and he could see the golden locks from inside her hood. She was… a complete image of King Arthur from the Fourth Holy Grail War. Both in personality and in appearance. That is why she wears a hood. He didn't feel too well when he sees her face. He requested it, but he didn't begrudge the girl for her appearance.

Because… even if she tried to hide it, she is King Arthur reborn.

"Teacher. Good Evening." She says with her normally formal behaviour.

"Gray." He says it neutrally. Not that he wasn't fond of the girl in a way. He just talks like that all the time.

"The preparations are complete. Unless we are waiting for an item requisition, we have permission to leave tomorrow morning for Japan." She explains.

"I see… then prepare your things. We will leave tomorrow morning. We already have what we need." He says.

"Yes, teacher." She responds in respect.

After that, she leaves, and Waver leans against his chair again.

"And here we go again..."

FATE

It was a strange feeling once. One day you die, and the next, you feel like you woke up from a dream. That was the sensation Artoria Pendragon felt, but in some different ways.

She wasn't born as a kind of super-human mentality. As a newborn, she had the same awareness as a child of her age. Growing up, memories of her past started coming back. And that, she came to understand, was because of a strange kind of mystical experiment, that the village she was born in was doing. A human vessel to revive the spirit of King Arthur. As her spirit was time of the time axis, she was probably captured by the ritual, even if her spirit was not stored inside the Throne of Heroes. Records of her probably existed there, but not her true soul.

As she grew, and her memories started to come back, she couldn't help but feel very intimidated by the idea of a new life. She was even something that she once felt like she wouldn't be one day: a magus. And one with a dragon core. Her talent surpassed those of normal magi by a hundred-fold. Of course, her personal tastes still made her prefer melee combat over spellcasting, so it didn't make much of a difference from before. She still uses Prana Burst as her main weapon, but she controls it better and has better uses of it.

However, the concept itself was astounding to her. Even if the concept of reincarnation was existent, and that simply biding the soul of one into the body of the newborn, without changing the characteristics of the life before, does sound simplistic, the idea that they could simply bring her back to life was in itself, something stupendous. It was basically in the realm of resurrection. It boggled her mind why her teacher didn't want to know more of it.

… Or maybe, he thought it was better not to meddle with things on that level. Which, she felt somewhat grateful. Some things should not be attempted. And that is one of them. Or maybe, he didn't want to deal with the fact that she is King Arthur reborn.

Because… Waver Velvet was a participant of the Fourth Holy Grail War. Bringing forth his Servant of the Rider Class, Alexander the Great, he fought in the Ritual for the chance for a wish.

After a tenuous battle, his servant was ultimately destroyed, and he was disqualified from the ritual. The battle left a lasting impression on his mentality, as did the trauma behind it. He absolutely didn't want to see her face. Most people would probably feel offended by that, but her level of self-loath at the time didn't really make her think much of it. She felt like a failure. So ashamed by her mistakes in life that she just wanted to hide her face from the world.

Right now, she did that as habit. She didn't have much problem doing so for her teacher. She didn't loathe herself anymore. Because of two things.

"Gray. Are you feeling well? You dozed off for a bit." Waver asked, his face seemed mildly worried.

They had already left the inside of the Airport and were embarking on an airplane that was going to Japan. After she left the airport bus, she started thinking over things a little, as her nervousness for the battle was rising. She had fought various times over the course of her new life, but heroic spirits are on their own level of power.

"I am well, teacher. I was just thinking over some things before our depart." She said.

"... I see. Well, would you mind telling me what was that which you were musing over?" the Lord asked. He was more than used to her formal speech.

"Your games, of course! I never saw you doing any other things that made you so joyful as playing video-games, teacher. Imagine staying two weeks without them!" She seemed very serious about it.

Waver looked at her, one eye twitching. He did appreciate her care, but she didn't have to say those kind of things. It was embarrassing.

"Don't bother about that. Even better, don't mention that…" he says, a little red to his face.

"As you wish." She says, neutrally. However, her lips suggested differently, a small smirk to her features. She likes to tease Waver. His bad temper and cursing is something of great notice by the people of the Clock Tower, especially his students.

However, he wasn't harsh to her. He did get a bit angry, but he normally said to her dismiss some ideas without scolding her. Of course, he didn't need to, since she is practically a model student. However, they were as close as family. Gray didn't tease him too much, not like Reines. She did that to get away from some discussions. Specially regarding her first life as King Arthur. She was sure that he knew that the ritual was a success. That solidified to her his reason for not wanting to look at her face. The experience was probably dramatic. The strange thing is that she can't really remember the war. If her soul is within her body right now, how was she summoned as a Heroic Spirit…? That is something that she probably won't receive an answer for some time. She would need to research that, but she doesn't have the resources. And she doesn't want to bother her teacher with it.

"Hey! Sister! We're gonna wreck the shit out of some Heroes! Light it up a bit, will ya?!"

And there it was. Within her cape, was a little birdcage. There a cubic figure was yelling at her in a very severe way. Different from her teacher, he had a very strange sense of humor… well, not that strange. He had her brother's personality modeled into it. That was something very disturbing to her at first. But, she had time to get accustomed to it.

"Quiet, Add." She said, shaking the cage.

"H-hey! What the hell! Stop that!" He yelled in outrage.

She took the small cage a little bit out of her cape, enough for Add to see her glare. He gulped and begrudgingly silencing himself. Just like Kay, it knew how a frosty Artoria was like.

Despite the exchange, Add treated her as his sister. He wasn't the true Kay, but because of the way he treated her, she was able to heal. And even though he looked harsh sometimes, he was actually fond of her. There were times that they talked to each other when anyone wasn't watching. Like the family that once was…

Waver looked at the exchange as if it was something that happened every day. Add's excitement was mostly to cheer Gray up. She wasn't much of one that liked to fight, of course, when one breaks out, she is the first to jump into the fray. She likes to avoid it, though. She only offered to go to the Holy Grail War because she knew that he wanted to go, and because if he won, he could pay his debt to the Archibalds.

The girl, however, was very competitive. Cheering her up to a wain is a very good way to motivate her. Not that she thought herself strong enough to beat Heroic Spirits. She knew that doing so is very stupid. That's why she won't even consider doing something so reckless without a reason. He hoped that she wouldn't have one…

FATE

After the trip, they took a car to Fuyuki. When Saber saw the place, she couldn't help but find it endearing, in a way. It was a small city, with two contrasting sides separated by a river. One district was a place where several houses were found, resembling a residential area. Both eastern and western houses littered the place.

To the other side of the river, was what it looked like a city district. Tall buildings showed a more modernized center, probably with various shops and places that made both the workplace for some and recreation areas for others.

"Well, here Iam. Back to this shithole of a city…" Waver said, scowling at the place.

Looking at the window of the car, and then back at him, she couldn't help but feel a bit exasperated by the way he described the city. He didn't like it at all.

"Teacher, it's a nice town. You really don't like it?"

He only says a "tch" and closes his eyes in irritation.

"This place only gives problems. And I hate Japan!" He says.

Gray sighs, looking back at the window. They were going through the Shinto district, the modernized one. People were walking around. Teenagers seemed to go somewhere to pass sometime, as it was a weekend. Salaryman were walking around with their suitcases, busy as their attires shown.

She heard about his opinion of the country before. To him, the people here are hypocrites, for some reason that he won't share. Even though she believes that he only doesn't like the place because of the War. Probably too harsh of him, but knowing her teacher, she thought it was fitting.

Despite passing through Shinto, they wouldn't stay there. Different from his predecessor, Waver wouldn't be an idiot and stay in a hotel, where he could be shot by a servant, or bombed away like he did in the last war.

"Master, are we going to establish our own base?" Gray asks.

"We may do that. However, we will contact the person that may ally with us in the war. She is representing the Association, as we are. It's her home base, though. Don't lower your guard at any instant." He says, looking at her with a serious expression.

"Understood." She says.

FATE

When the taxi left, they knew instantly that something was wrong. They were met with a two story building that was to be a magus' worksop. But… they didn't feel any bounded field. Not even a simple one to hide the signal of magecraft, being used. It was twilight by now, and no lights were on. Literally, no sign of life inside.

"Gray. Take the lead." Waver orders.

In that moment, something manifests in Gray's hand. It's not visible, for some reason. She takes whatever it is in both her hands, like a weapon. Add, As a sword is her preferred tool, she keeps it in that form.

She goes first, opening the door, steadily… and the smell enters their noses. The pungent odor of death, of rot.

"... damn it." Waver says.

Both enter and walk inside, and right at the door, they see it.

The rotting body of Bazett Fraga McRemitz.

Waver goes to the side of Gray, covering his mouth.

"... She's been dead for a while." Gray says, noting her missing arm. Someone took the arm with the command seals.

"So this is how it's going to be. The war hasn't even started and someone jumped her as she entered the door, taking her command seals with them. God, what this game makes people do…" Waver laments.

"... not much different from mages do in the Clock Tower." Gray adds.

"... Yeah. Gray, clean the place up and try to find traps, or spiritual interference. Any sign that something in her workshop is going to kill us, do that first." He orders.

"Roger." She goes inside to start her reconnaissance and sweeping.

Waver looks at the Enforcer's body with a grim expression. Someone killed Bazzet while she had her guard down. She was one of the best fighters in the Clock Tower. Taking her by surprise is not an easy task. Which means…

… someone backstabbed her. And she probably had a servant with her. If that was the case, it puts credit to the idea that it was someone that she trusted enough, to keep her servant at bay.

"What a mess..."

FATE

After almost an hour of looking for traps, wrapping Bazett's body up for her family to extract her crest and artifact, and contacting the Association to inform them of her death, Waver descended into the basement. He sent Gray to scout the outskirts, for any sign of enemies, or clues regarding the murderer.

The place was dark, and cobblestones littered the place, making it seem more like a tomb than a basement.

"Perfect."

Putting a suitcase atop a stone table, he opens it with care. It reveals a ragged red cloth. He touches it's surface and then takes it with a hand.

"Soon, I will work with you again, as your vassal." He says, seeming a little joyful.

He hears a ring inside his pocket. He picks it up.

"Teacher, the area around the mansion is secured." Gray's voice came from the other side.

"Good. Come back here. We still have some business to take care of..."

FATE

After they took some care to establish themselves inside their own rooms, they went to the basement. Waver had already prepped a magic seal on the ground.

Gray had read about them: summoning circles. They were conduits to the manifestation of a servant. If the circle has a connection with the leyline of the Grail, it can manifest a servant. The energy for the summoning comes from the system, but the caster is bound to the spirit, gaining seals and having their magical energy drained to keep the servant anchored to the world.

She sees a red rag being placed in the center of the circle by her master.

"The preparations are complete. Everything is set. Time is right. Only some minutes for my magical energy to reach its peak…" He starts saying.

Gray looks as the circle starts to light up. The prana being used for the ritual coalescing into one focal point. The body of the servant was about to form.

Her teacher started to chant, and she couldn't help but feel how this was the start of a marking point. Soon a war would start and she would see the might of powerful existences clashing. She would aid her teacher, as she one day vowed. For saving her from the nightmare of ruling, once again. For saving her from her Fate…

FATE