Disclaimer: Fate/Stay Night and Fate/Extra belong to Type-Moon and affiliated company.

It was nothing but a flash, an illusion that lasted no longer than the blink of an eye. Instead of within a library building, they were in the middle of a desolate, arid landscape covered in countless bladed weapons. And then this world disappeared just as fast as it came to be. In a flash.

"What was that...?"

The operative didn't notice his hand falling off his arm until the sound it made as it hit the ground notified him of that fact. For a brief moment, he observed the missing part above the wrist. He couldn't make any concrete thought at that point. Blood didn't flow out of the stump, not even a slightest sensation of pain.

Strange. He already knew that his body wasn't made to bleed or register pain, yet it still took him aback to lose a limb like this. Did he expect otherwise? Since when? Why? A second of contemplation revealed the answer.

"... I see."

He had begun to think of himself as a human.

Just as that thought crossed his mind, the operative was pushed forward, backward, and toward many other directions by unknown force. When he realized that his torso felt heavy, he looked down and found several swords had stuck themselves in his body. His heart, liver, kidneys, and lungs, had he had them to begun with, were all pierced through.

A death sentence for any human. But to the operative, some minutes of delay before oblivion.

"Quite the unusual magecraft," he commented, looking down at his fallen foe. "What does it cost you?"

The red-haired boy didn't answer the operative's question as he struggled to get up. His hands and arms were torn and mangled, there was a hole in his chest, his face covered in bruise, and blood had soaked his tacky shirt thoroughly. By all appearance, he should have dropped dead already.

"Is that... what's keeping Kishinami alive?"

The boy's eyes were directed to somewhere down the operative's feet, at the gleaming regalia still pinched between his thumb and index finger. They were dull and on the verge of shutting down, but the flame of deviance still burn from between the half-closed eyelids.

"What of it? You can't bring that girl back with it no matter what you try."

"So it is..." the boy said in relief, something which puzzled the operative. Didn't he just told him that it wouldn't change anything? Had he missed something?

The auburn haired youth inhaled and exhaled air as if pumping himself. He let out a groan of pain as he pushed himself up with his damaged limbs. Even standing seemed like a tremendous effort for him. His injured leg couldn't hold his weight and the good one was shaking badly, like he'd topple over at any moment. Yet, he took one step forward and another. Each step seemed harder to make than the last, but he made it all the way, up to just one step in front of the operative before collapsing to his knees and coughing miserably.

"Anymore than that will kill you," he observed. "Or maybe that is what you want, to die with her."

"No..." the boy rasped. "Nobody's going to die today. Except you."

It was neither a threat or a boast. The operative's body had already reached its limit by this point. He could feel it crumbling down into its original form - strings of data, which amount to nothingness in this world. His fight with the boy, with Emiya, had devolved into a waiting contest called 'Who'd be the first to break apart'.

Emiya seemed to be keen on winning that contest as he reached out for the regalia. He took it off the operative's severed hands with trembling fingers, then, when the silver ring was secured in his hands, he chanted quietly.

"Trace, on."

"You know that there'd come someone worse than I to retrieve it," the operative said, his voice fragmented unwittingly as his body started to scramble out of existence. "Leave it if you want to avoid trouble."

"I made a promise to protect her," the boy answered simply. Blue and greenish glow began to line out under his skin. His magic circuits began to run and ready to burn him out.

"Suit yourself," was the operative's final words.

The last thing the operative heard and saw was the boy's scream agony as the ring in his hand shone brightly like a star.

Extraneous Encounter

Chapter 11 - Error

At last you are here. It has been centuries. I could barely manage everything by myself.

Oh, what is this? Who is that with you? An intruder. The one you came in contact with during your... escapade.

He tried to perceive something which he had no right to see.

Quite a miracle to pull off.

Well, he wouldn't last very long here, though.

Soon, oblivion will welcome him, just like my agents he had eliminated.

A shame. He'd made for a good janitor.

I walked through a great sea of flame. Down the deserted school corridor and past a plain white wall, lied a vast ground full of dead bodies. Faces I vaguely recognized looking up from where they were discarded, burning and melting and dying.

And right in the middle of the dark dungeon, in the distance hazed by hot dark clouds, stood the bane of my existence. A towering dark monstrosity holding an equally dark sphere like a grotesque hand monument. The effigy looked like one of my own, moved like my own, but far stronger than my own.

I fell on my back as my spirit melted down. My life slipped away as my effigy was torn apart by its identical counterpart. The burning city closed in on me and the cold ground of the underground arena absorbed my life like water into linen. There was nothing else I could do other than to accept my fate. My life was going to end, every struggle brought nothing but agony that made me wish the end would just come already.

Yet, I refused to give up. I didn't know why, but the deepest part of myself, desired to live. To fight.

My hand reached up toward the ashen sky, a droplet fell on my finger. It was raining, a mercy coming down from heaven. But it was too late for me.

I still refused to give up. If death was the process of soul slipping away from one's body, then I was biting into it, resisting its departure with all the strength I had left. No matter how miniscule it was.

My hand fell and I made one last wish.

Hope for a peaceful end. Hope for a salvation.

"You're alive!" a man cried out in joy with exhausted voice, rejecting my despair.

"... This sucks..." a man grumbled in gruffy voice, answering my prayer.

A boy in a young man's body cried out for help after his dashing protector was slain by my grumpy one.

A young girl laughing merrily as her mad giant swung his sword around to wreak destruction.

The lost little girl finally realized that her dream had come to an end and she had to open her eyes, except there was nothing else for her to see.

Once my close friend, now he scampered away pathetically after his monstrous companion was mauled to death by the fists of a mortal man.

I bit my lip and held back my tears as the words of the assassin resounded in my ears. I was not worthy to be a Master. I was not even a human.

The witch's dagger stabbed into her chest in act of upmost loyalty befitting that of the King of Knights. It was her final reward for my blunder. Her tearful expression hurt me more than my body being torn apart.

He comforted me in the only way he knew how: by scolding me. When I finally raised my voice and let the tears fall, he told me how truly human I really was, as if he had already known all along.

At first she was berating me and my recklessness, but later that night, the girl leaned against my back as she contemplated the situation. She revealed her vulnerable self with her musings, and all I had to say to lift her spirit was to tell my honest, true feelings.

I liked him. From the very start, his somber figure had been captivating me. His personality, the more I see the depth of it, the more I wanted to know him. The more I wanted him to see as more than just a master to serve.

I liked her. From the first time I saw her, she had been inspiring awe and admiration. The more I got to know her, even though, her illusion was shattered, all I found underneath was more reason to cherish her.

He had once raged against the destiny he had chosen for himself. For once in his timeless existence, he harbored one selfish hope. To one day slay his previous self if their fates ever intersected.

Finally I saw for myself where the ideal I had adopted would take me. The hero that I had been dreaming to become finally stood before me, ready to end my life before I could become one.

I saw Archer fought with Emiya Shirou.

Their swords clashed together in a world of fire and blades. Their soul and body fight over the dominance of their inner reality, as forgotten memories were reawakened and future memories bloomed in the present.

The hero recalled who he used to be, what had led him to the very path he had come to regret.

The boy foresaw what he could one day become, all the countless battles that finally shattered his illusion of a beautiful ideal.

Who would prevail, the one who wanted to cancel the bitter past, or one who strived to see the future no matter what?

The fight ended in the younger self's victory. The passionate flame of a heroic ideal forged the hard cold steel his heart had become. In the end, he was a faker still. A fake who wanted to become the real one. Still, in front of the faker who had lied and hurt her, the girl whose fate was always connected to the faker smiled, vowing to never give up on him.

Thus, he also made a promise himself to do his best at being him. As much as he had changed into the kind of hero he didn't want, when he heard someone stubbornly refusing to let things end meaninglessly, he let the call of the moon guiding him to me.

This would be the time where our fates intersected, the moment a lost soul met with her unlikely guardian.

There were infinite number of worlds, infinite number of possibilities occurring on earth ever since its creation. The Moon Cell recorded it all, even ones where it didn't even exist. Detached from time and reality, I've been made to observe the one universe where magic hadn't left the planet. Through the eyes of Emiya Shirou I've seen deaths and destruction. Pain and despair. Sadness and sufferings.

Along with all the bad and evil, he had seen the good and virtuous, smiles and laughter, joy and delight, victories and hopes. They were the very reasons he underwent all trials and tribulations of a hero in a world that didn't exactly wanted it. I experienced deaths alongside him from multiple branches of timelines, some tragic, some are heroic. Many were meaningful sacrifices, many more were forgotten like a dream washed away by morning sun.

Right now, whether it was the end or not, was yet to be determined. He was broken, both his mind and his body. All so that he could reach me.

"He doesn't deserve this. I have to help him."

"You can help him," came an answer. "Though it will hurt dearly. For you, and for him."

I looked up and saw the owner of the voice. It was Kishinami Hakuno, the one who had been chosen to oversaw the Moon Cell. She was the reason why Dead Faces were being sent down; they wanted her.

No, they needed her. Without her, the Moon Cell would cease to exist.

"What would it cost?" I asked.

"Everything that you've created with him," Hakuno answered. "Your memories of the life you led as a human. They were to be erased."

I looked around.

The swords had rusted. Some of them had already begun to crumble to dusts. Dusts that were blown away by hot winds. Hot winds that came from flame which devoured this world from all directions.

This world was his soul, and it was rupturing.

There was only one thing that could stop it, even reverted back all the damages.

When he was near his Servants, his wounds would heal rapidly all on their own. Now when he was with me, he perpetually struggled to fight through his injuries. Some servants possessed attributes that they could share with their Master, provided it was supported by their legends. And when it came to Emiya Shirou's Servant in the Holy Grail War he had fought in, this was most probably the case.

The blond-haired swordswoman he had summoned was Arthuria Pendragon, King of Knights, the One and Future King that was Promised, Ruler of the Brittons, and the wielder of the Holy Sword Excalibur. It was said that when the Excalibur returned to its sheath, the wounds suffered by its owner would instantly heal. There had to be connection between Emiya's miraculous healing ability and her being summoned as his Servant.

There was no other way to know for sure other than to ask the person herself.

Like I had said, Moon Cell recorded everything that had ever been on earth. That would include both Emiya and Arthuria and how the two of them were connected beyond their relationship as Master and Servant.

"To unlock that knowledge is to admit your identity as the watcher of the moon. It is to deny your humanity, to reject the possibility of living a normal life as a normal girl."

What the other Hakuno had told me was a warning delivered without any slice of favor added. Moon Cell didn't care what I would do, though there would be consequences. The choice was all mine to make.

The question was, would I sacrifice my life for him?

The King looked up from her final resting place, upon the girl who had just made the most unbelievable plea she had ever heard.

"That name... I seemed to remember it from somewhere..."

The girl knelt down, reaching out her hands for the King. Her sincere eyes looked deeply into the King's.

"Very well, I shall lend you my strength."

Earth looked like a big blue ball half floating on a pitch black sea. From here on the surface of the moon, it beckoned me to return to it. In hindsight, going back to live there was the best choice. Humans are meant to live on earth, where our needs are provided and dreams are to be realized. Here on this barren land outside the planet's atmosphere, all I can do is to fulfill my duty.

But it was the only choice I could choose. For the sake of the world. His world.

"... Kishinami...?" Emiya woken up. His head shifted about on my lap.

"Hello, Shirou," I said in greeting, smiling down on him. His whitened eyebrows rose up in confusion.

"We're on first name basis, now?"

My smile turned to grin. "It's tiring to keep calling you Emiya. Three syllables are troublesome after a while."

His amber tinted eyes blinked several times without breaking eye contact with me. Maybe he was trying to figure out what I was thinking, but I truly didn't hide anything away. What I was feeling was what I was showing.

I was glad to see him for the final time.

"... Hakuno."

He said my name like learning a new word. It sent a strange sensation in my stomach, a small but pleasant warmth. My face must have reddened as an amused smile appeared on his tired face.

"To be fair, your family name have four syllables," he tried to be funny. I couldn't help but laugh at that.

"Fair enough, I guess. Besides, I like how it sounds coming from you, Shirou," I told him. Predictably, he blushed. So adorable.

"Where are we?" he asked after clearing his throat.

"This is the moon."

My answer prompted his to leave my lap. I pointed to the large cubicle structure floating in the distance; the Moon Cell.

"That is where I came from, the data of Kishinami Hakuno was originally created as an extra detail for the virtual space where the Holy Grail was held," I explained, "in other word, a non player character."

"That's not who you are. Not anymore," he said. "You are alive on earth. Someone with body and soul, someone with a future."

"My life is sealed in a ring."

"What of it?"

"You should know. It's unnatural. It's a mistake that have to be fixed sooner or later."

Whether it was according the Moon Cell's decision or the stream of humanity's conscience, either way, Kishinami Hakuno's existence was not meant to last peacefully. Without a soul to oversee it, the core of Moon Cell would give away to corruption, eventually became chaotic mass of programs overwriting one another for eternity. When it could not contain itself any longer, all that chaos would spill down onto earth.

A world invaded by what was once its observer. That was what earth would become with Kishinami Hakuno living in it.

Emiya Shirou was someone who had sworn to prevent something like that from happening at any cost. Therefore,

"You have to leave me here, Shirou."

His expression hardened in contemplation. Though, surprisingly, it didn't take him long to give a reply.

"No. You're coming with me."

"You should have seen it. What is bound to happen if I go."

"That is yet to happen. There's still time to change it. To make it so that nothing bad would come to be."

"Shirou, it's too good to be true."

"That's why I'll fight for it."

Fighting. That was all he had been doing ever since he met me. Getting injured, endangering his life. If anything, the only thing that was certain to happen if I choose to live was that I'd see him die.

More than my desire to live, I didn't want to see him suffer anymore.

"Hakuno, you still want to find things you'd like to do, don't you?"

I did. I really did. But more than that, I...

"I want to be there with you when you figure it out," he continued. "I want to be there with you, when you finally can say that you're happy to be alive. That you're happy to know me."

My hand trembled as I clutched my chest with it. He said it, but... but I was happy to know him. I was happy to be alive even if it wasn't for long.

"I want you to live, Hakuno. I want to know more about you."

I looked into his eyes, seeking flaws in them, looking for a reason to turn him down. There was none. His eyes were unwavering in determination. Honest and without a lingering doubt. He'd still fight for me no matter what, even after knowing the consequences.

And I...

"I want to know more about you too, Shirou."

I hugged him tightly, resting my head against his broad chest. He could have me, I wanted to say, bring me back, I wanted to tell him. But all process to form words had lost from my mind. Right now, all that I wanted was him in my arms, to make sure that this dream would carry on to reality when I wake up from it.

"Let's go home," he said, his darkened arms hugging me back.

Standing up, he kicked the surface of the moon, launching us toward earth with the velocity of a meteor.

Next Chapter - Equals

AUTHOR's NOTES

I hope that was trippy enough without being too confusing. Ah, maybe I overestimate myself again and the whole screwy writing I tried to do was for nothing.

You see, if there's a main reason why this particular chapter took so long to write... that would be this sequel of a game that just came out recently that's been leaving me absolutely unsure on what to think. I know I felt rage, sadness, and disappointment at it, but on the other hand... I kind of admire it for what it does to make me feel that way. How complicated.

Moving on, many have noted how I treat Shirou in this story, like I nerfed him hard, or that the threats he is facing are more trouble than they should be. Okay, let's get into that. I'm sorry in advance for how lengthy it'll be.

First of all, this Shirou had only been a proper magus for a six months or so. The two times he fought his enemies, they keep catching him off guard due to his unfamiliarity to them and the fact that his projections are not yet on par with Archer's, and his tactical sense has yet to develop to that point either.

Secondly, the Shirou we saw in the finale of UBW route was the strongest he had ever been by this point. In that battle he was supported by the pact with Rin and Avalon's healing attribute provided by Saber's existence. Here, Saber is no more and Rin is away (she'll make an appearance, I promise).

Thirdly, the effect of his soul resonance with Archer's is not permanent. It will wane overtime unless he keep practicing. His personality didn't get affected by Archer by much either (which is arguably the point of UBW to begin with - that Shirou and Archer are different persons even though their origins are the same). In short, experiencing power trip doesn't make him a master. Not yet.

Considering all that, I think he's been doing quite an impressive job at being Hakuno's bodyguard while getting realistically get injured and facing failures. Moreover, I don't want to make it easy for him. He had decided to follow his ideal no matter what, and the original work has emphasized the point that doing so is not a walk in the park. I wanted to explore it, the idea that trying to do good in a world where magecraft existed would bring a lot of pain and require sacrifices.

There you have it, my reasons for not having a (more) powerful Shirou in this story. If you find fault in the way I present the idea (some had, and I'm sincerely grateful for the criticism), I can only humbly ask to pardon my lack of writing skill. I wish to continue to improve.

Thanks for reading, stay healthy, and see you next chapter!