An Opportunity of Fate part 36b

Interlude One-

She woke up huddled in the corner in the now destroyed dining room. The walls were covered with scorch marks and many of the heavy hard wood chairs lay scattered underneath the scratched but still very intact portrait of Jubestacheit von Einzbern.

She shivered as she stood, still naked from her coining. She had come to this place because Sella had always felt in control in this room. The kitchen would have worked as well, but a few remnants of the cookies they had baked remained.

She had stolen a couple, but had been unable and unwilling to face the emotions invoked by the place.

Leysritt dead. Ilya captured. And Sella… Sella was dead too. She had the woman's memories, but she refused to be that defeated and shallow woman. She was…

Honestly she didn't really know.

Not that it mattered. Not now. Not while she glared at the portrait of the Einzbern family. "This. This is all your fault."

That she was a homunculus could be of little doubt. She was not even a day old and she was already integrating all the programming that had been put into her. Plus two years of memories as a magical themed homunculus named Sella.

Only past that point she wasn't sure. Her hair wasn't white. Her eyes were not red.

She could deal with that later. She walked briskly over to a suit of armor in the corner. And she drew the heavy osmium great sword. Holding the blade close to her she began to instill the alchemical sigils necessary to enchant the blade temporarily. She smiled at the picture, "I don't know why I am here or who made me." A tear came to her eye, "But I remember and revere Ilya von Einzbern. I go now to find her, or if necessary save her."

With a pulse of power of power to activate the sigils she hurled the osmium blade into the portrait sinking it into the reinforced stone behind it hilt deep.

For a moment she thought about fetching the blade. It had felt good in her hands. Nah, she'd always preferred halberds. "Good bye, old man."

And she left to begin her journey.

-End Scene—

Ayako Mitsuzuri-

Ayako was hurrying home. Breakfast with Taiga had been fun, even with the woman's childish need to gloat. In the end Taiga had beaten Ayako four out of five times with the last two being almost embarrassingly brief.

Superhuman strength and speed didn't protect against rookie mistakes. Not that she was entirely a rookie herself, Ayako was fairly sure she was equivalent to first dan in kendo, she just needed to pass the examination. It was just that Taiga was good.

With Taiga teaching her, hopefully she would become good enough to protect Issei and her friends should it become necessary. It wouldn't help in the current conflict; she would probably have to depend on her powers to protect her.

And some of them were quite fun. Like what she was doing now. Rather than run along the street, she had decided to hop from one high point to another. It took focus and concentration to travel this way, but it did allow for a shorter trip.

Plus, given the way her magic worked along with human psychology, it was easier to edit out her seemingly impossible actions easier than it would have been if she had simply run a solid fifty kilometers an hour. The trick was to be either so mundane as to beneath notice or so preposterous as to be too unlikely.

Each time she launched herself, and just prior to landing she would have a flash of insight of exactly the force required and the direction the next landing spot would be.

It was exhilarating.

She hopped down to street level as she approached her neighborhood. Since she had awakened she hadn't been back, perhaps that was why she hadn't seen it. She had always felt safe in her neighborhood.

Now he knew why. The force of her mother's spirit was everywhere, supporting and being supported by the people who lived there. This neighborhood was Eiko Mitsuzuri's domain and under her protection. Nothing that disturbed the peace and safety of that neighborhood was welcome there.

Ayako felt a tiny bit nervous herself. How would her mother react to her?

Each step closer grew more tentative. She had been lucky. Her friends and grandfather had accepted her, mostly without understanding the fundamental differences in her new nature. Only Issei and Medusa truly understood.

There would be no lying to her mother.

A light breeze picked up, carrying the scent of future snow. It also caused a wind-charm to dance sending little electric thrills with each note.

In a flash she was standing next to it, hand half raised to touch it. This charm was made for her. Not Ayako as she had been, not her human self. It had been made with her in mind, the trace Elemental embodiment she had gained from her mother and her Grandmother before her.

She gasped in delight as the wind caressed it.

"Your Issei is quite talented," Eiko Mitsuzuri began.

Ayako ignored the need to turn to face her mother. For if she turned, their eyes would meet, and Eiko would know everything. "Yes he is, but how?"

"How did he make something like that? He knows you and incorporated your spiritual bond into his work. Your father does much the same when he gardens." Her mother placed her hands on Ayako's shoulders. "Issei told me that you had been… hurt."

Ayako defensively pulled her arms in, accepting her mother's warm hug, but still unwilling to face her. "Where is he?"

"I made him sleep. He woke from a nightmare, and while he told me much, I don't know if he realizes just what has happened to him."

Ayako turned, "Something is wrong? You told me he had. Hurt…. Himself…." In that instant their gazes met. And Ayako's worst fears brought to light.

One set of golden eye met the other. Neither could hide the truth from the other. Ayako could hide her shame, her fears of rejection, and growing sense of pride of whom and what she was now. From a shunned and sundered portion of Ayako who had survived abandonment and what amounted to voluntary suicide on a spiritual level by the rest of her being. With each passing moment she regained more of Ayako's memories, to the point her thoughts were no longer wistful about it.

She was Ayako Mitsuzuri!

But where Ayako saw a rebirth from near total destruction, Eiko saw only the destruction. Anger and fear and grief billowed through mother, frothing to the pitch of a horrific storm of rejection and despair. Eiko flung Ayako from her, "What have you done to my daughter!"

It was there, at that moment when the onslaught of her mother's will struck at her. All around her the world sought possibilities of ruin and misfortune. It ranged from stubbing her toe all the to suffering a form of spontaneous human combustion.

Ayako allowed none of it. "You have always feared me. That I would wake up and consume you daughter. No amount of reassurance by your other-self, one that you have come to fully embrace, could convince you that anything more than a guarded slumber was safe for me. Only your knowledge of how badly you would cripple Ayako by my removal staid your hand there. Only that was enough to keep Uncle from cutting me away."

Eiko pressed her back against the wall, but she was unable to break her daughter's dreadful gaze. "You were a monster!"

"I was a baby. Ayako was my only companion. When she was awake she gave me things no spirit so young could ever hope to savor. I could see and hear and taste. When she was bored I did what I could to amuse her. Even after you bound me away I still aided her when I could, feeding her strength and support for the wonders of human hopes and memories."

Eiko slid down the wall, her legs no longer supporting her. Their gaze did not slip. "I thought you would fade. Ayako never even claimed to have imaginary friends. But every time I tested for you, you wouldn't go away."

Ayako looked away. "She was scared mother. I don't know why she left me behind. I know Issei did something, I don't know what. Perhaps I should have let it go, let my essence dissipate."

Eiko's voice was wry, even though she sounded on the verge of tears, "But you didn't because you are Ayako Mitsuzuri!"

A flicker of her usual grin flashed across her face, "Well, yeah." Ayako looked up, "More snow on the way."

Eiko said nothing.

Ayako turned, knelt down and grasped her mother's hands, "She isn't dead. Not really. It, it will be awkward, but she will want to see you."

Eiko looked up at her, "It can't be fixed."

"No."

Eiko closed her eyes, "I need a few moments."

Ayako nodded and left her there, already feelings of grief flash across the neighborhood. Nor was she able to escape the heartrending wailing behind her, as Eiko Mitsuzuri mourned the loss of her eldest daughter.

Ayako walked back through the neighborhood amidst the falling snow.

End Scene—

Interlude Two-

Yukika Saegusa sat quietly as the tall Catholic priest talked to her parents. Her very frightened parents.

Oh they were proud of her. She had slipped out of the house the day her friends had been captured and gone to rescue them. Alone she had raced to save her forgotten friends.

She was a hero.

Yukika didn't feel like a hero. The moment Medusa had taken her friends she knew they would not survive, why Medusa had saved her out of the three of them she still didn't fully understand.

That is because you're special.

Yukika sighed as she felt the tension massaged out of her back. 'Thank you. Shouldn't you be more careful?'

He is neither a magus nor does he have the Sight.

'I am just nervous, I guess.'

I swore to protect you. To the limit of my abilities I will do so. As long as you protect and feed me, I will keep you from harm.

Yukika would have responded, but the priest entered the room. She stood and bowed slightly.

The priest smiled at her. He was a Westerner and tall, easily towering over her. His eyes were grey and clear, his hair a mix of black and grey. "Good morning Miss Saegusa. I am Monsignor Johannes Brache. I hear your actions over the last few days have been heroic. Foolish and reckless perhaps, but brave."

Yukika shifted slightly at the man's praise.

"I will be conducting a few tests, both psychological and a few more esoteric to ascertain you have weathered this situation without harm." He smiled sadly at her, "Dealing with the occult often leaves wounds that are hard to see. I am glad your parents were willing to accept my help. Your friend's parents were not so accommodating. I can only ask that will watch your friends closely. I will show you some of the warning signs." He paused for a few moments. "But first I need to hear the true story, the whole story." He raised a hand, "I will consider it under the Seal of Confession, and will not share what you have told me. But I will act if there is a danger to mankind."

Yukika quietly asked, "And if there is?"

The priest turned away from her, "The truth is Japan is not a Christian nation. Nor are you or your friends Christians themselves. It limits my options as I have no authority." He turned to face her, hard grey eyes meeting her own soft brown, "It is still my obligation as a fellow human to protect and shelter any that I can. Trust me Yukika Saegusa, I mean you and your friends no harm."

Once the weight of that gaze would have caused her to look away, but this man's gaze was nothing compared to Lord Hades. And in his eyes she saw nothing to fear.

And so she told him the truth.

End Interlude

Sakura Matou-

Sakura rubbed her aching head. She knew that she was leaving chalk dust in her hair, but at this point, she was far beyond caring.

She looked around the spacious Matou library. How many hours had it been? How long had she been searching?

It was here, she knew it! All she had to do was keep looking and it would come to her. "Pochemu eto nikogda ne byvayet prostym ?"

"Sakura?" Medusa looked over from the table she was sitting at. Several books lay scattered around her.

Sakura shook her head, "I am fine. I was just wondering why things are never simple." Of course Medusa looked fresh as ever, as a Servant the woman didn't need sleep. Sakura herself could cheat for a while, allowing differing personalities to rest, but it wasn't the same as actual sleep.

Medusa looked concerned as she swiftly moved and cupped her cheek, "These scars…."

"They stretch all over my body, but are most prominent on my neck and upper chest. Maybe if I hadn't had to regenerate so much lately…" Sakura watched as a filament of red slid down her arm.

Medusa hugged her close, "You need to rest."

Sakura pulled away irritably, "We don't have time!" She gestured to the library, "And it is here, in this library, possibly in this damn Crest of mine. We just have to keep looking and we will find it."

Medusa shook her head. "Maybe. But for now, you need to cool it."

"But I almost have it!" She looked again at the equations and the variant conjoined conjurations and evocations and….

"Is that why all of your notes are in Russian?"

Sakura turned to face Medusa, "What are you talking about? I don't know…." She looked at the chalkboard she was standing in front of. Over the last year or so, Rin had convinced her the wonders of using chalk boards to let ideas flow. And the Matou library had quite a few.

Chalk boards, that in years past, when he had been more mobile, a certain Zouken Makiri had made a good deal of use of.

Sakura studied the chalkboard. It was full of notes. They were not in kanji or katakana. She set the piece of chalk down. She glanced at Medusa again, "Well. I guess that simplifies my next language choice."

Medusa walked behind her and rubbed her shoulders. Of all the changes in Medusa/Ayako, this was the hardest for her. Medusa felt like her Ayako, and at times acted exactly like her. Watching both of them in the same room was eerie, both of them reacting similarly, both of looking like mismatched mirrors. But Medusa was much less reticent about physical contact.

Medusa quietly said, "Trust your sempai in this. If the solution is there we will find it. But for now you must rest." She continued to rub some of the tension out of Sakura's back.

Sakura sighed. Ayako was right. Medusa was good at this. "Okay."

Medusa swept her off her feet and gently kissed her forehead. "First we'll get you cleaned up. I'll massage out a little more tension followed by a nice long soak with that bath salt I got you last year. A light brunch followed by a brief but restful nap. By this afternoon you will be a new woman ready to face it all anew."

Seldom in her short life had Sakura been pampered like this. Perhaps not since her childhood. She looked at those odd eyes that Medusa possessed. Eyes feared in legend for their ability to petrify all she surveyed, the eyes of a despised monster.

And Medusa was indeed such a monster. That potential still lurked, but that was not all that was there. For threaded throughout the angry and bitter spirit that was Medusa, was the desire to not see another fall into darkness. To not mistake a sense of vengeance for justice, to not condemn all of mankind for the actions of a few.

Sakura trembled slightly as the truth filled her. Medusa loved her.

It was not the same way that Shirou loved her or Rin's protective familial love. It was a mix of Medusa's own inhuman level of dedication to the salvation of a comparable soul, to the absolute devotion of Ayako to a friend. Either of them would do anything to protect her.

Sakura was safe. Her last words before drifting off to sleep were, "I trust you sempai."

And she slept.

End Scene-

Shirou Emiya

Shirou pulled a little fitfully on his new suit. The last few hours had been a whirl of activity, none of which he had expected. He had already been to several office buildings and several banks.

Gretchen was seated beside him, her eyes and briefcase closed, "You are doing better than I expected. Not as well as I could have hoped. But you are detail oriented and follow direction well."

"Why are we here? I should be helping Rin and Ilya."

"Have you suddenly gained skills of a research magus?"

Shirou met Arturia's eyes in the rear view mirror. She shrugged slightly and Shirou sighed. He tried to keep his voice even, "No."

Gretchen smiled slightly. "You would just be a distraction. Ilya will want to spend time with you. As you and Tohsaka a new lovers, I think we can assume you would be a distraction for her as well."

Shirou flushed, "I am sure I could be doing something more productive than this."

"You do want to protect Ilysaviel? Yes?"

"Of course!"

"What we are doing today is to provide a valid reason for keeping her here, and not in London. A Magus Family isn't great solely based by its age and reputation. Resources are crucial." Gretchen sighed, "When you killed Victor, I was finishing a large scale asset raid on the main Einzbern holdings. Over the last 24 hours I have manage to change the recipient to you, once I placed your claim as a valid heir to the Einzbern line."

"I don't understand."

Gretchen opened her eyes, altered from her normal red to a bright green, "You have just become a very wealthy young man." She raised a hand. "I am not saying your life needs to dramatically change, it would probably be best if it doesn't. But a bit of work today and tomorrow could prove crucial in protecting Ilya after the Grail War."

Shirou asked, "What good will any of this do us if we lose the War?"

"It may provide a buffer to the survivors, so that if we fall others may be able to take our places and succeed where we have failed. Fighting all-or-nothing battles makes for a great story, but it is poor strategy."

The car was silent.

Arturia pulled over to stop. She turned and reaching back grasped Shirou's hand from the front of the seat. "Pay attention Shirou. I have, I have seen your dreams, lived your life. You have seen mine?"

Shirou looked away, "Yes." How could he describe his feelings of sympathy and anger? The miracles she had wrought on the battlefield had been forgotten as soon as it was no longer necessary. She had saved them and had been rewarded with betrayal.

How he wished he could save her that she could enjoy even the smallest part of what she deserved.

But if the last few days had taught him anything, it was that not everyone could be saved. Saving Arturia was far beyond anything he could hope to do. "I am sorry."

She smiled at him. "Always worried about others." She shook her head slightly, her normal demeanor returning, "I have not been the best of Servants, Shirou."

"Still angry you weren't summoned Saber?"

"Yes, you silly Master. But that isn't what I am talking about. I am not really Rider." She touched her body, "This is Rider's container, but when it was trying to shape me into a more Rider-like persona, I managed to beat it off."

"So you are Saber after all?"

"Perhaps I was mistaken in taking you today." Gretchen added. "You are just Arturia Pendragon. Is there a difference from whom you were last War?"

Arturia smile sadly, "I think I would have been less sure of myself either way." She looked down, "Last War taught me some things. But they were filtered by a layer of certainty to my beliefs and ideals. At Camlaan I don't have that. When I was summoned again, "I expected that certainty, which reinforced my moral belief in myself. Instead of certainty I got a sense of uncertainty and opportunity. Whereas the Saber fights with strength and purpose, Rider's are the strategists. They observe and manipulate the being Rider made me question some of my decisions. Namely my desire to not tactically withdraw at Camlaan when Mordred took the heights. It would have given him a technical victory while allowing me to gain reinforcements and supplies.

"But my Pride…. I was so certain that I would win, even without Avalon. And I was victorious. At the cost of my life and Kingdom. Don't make my mistake."

All through her tale she had caressed his hand. Now that she was finished, she paused and stared at it as if it were a venous snake and turned around, her face flushed. "Sorry, Shirou."

"Thank you Arturia." He turned to an expressionless Gretchen, "Where to next?"

End Scene-

Interlude Three-

Kirei Kotomine sighed at the pile of paperwork he needed to finish. The irony that the world had only a few days left and that he was helping orchestrate its destruction did not stop the nagging sense of not finishing on time.

Gilgamesh breezed into the room, "Share a glass with me priest."

"Have your preparations been completed?"

"For tomorrow, yes." He poured a glass for Kirei, refilled his own, and took a sip. "By this time tomorrow, Saber will be mine, body and mind. And if absolutely necessary in soul as well.

End Part-

A/N- This chapter is far from perfect, not to mention late. But this story is at an odd point. Next chapter may have some exposition that didn't fit in this one, but will mostly be shaping the penultimate arc of the story. Depending on how wordy I am we are talking six to ten chapters tops.

Wish me luck and let me know what you folks think. Let's hope that 2015 is an excellent year.