Random Disclaimer – I do not own any of the original material used in this story

[Labyrinth of Fate; Start]

"Shirou Emiya, you are hereby sentenced to death by hanging for your treason against humanity."

The declaration of Shirou's demise had been decided with no opposition from the crowd. Rather, most of the villagers were delighted, and some even cried out in an uproar asking for a crueler form of death. Many had beseeched the use of torture and inflicting unimaginable pain onto Shirou's body until his mind would break, while some wanted his existence out of this world as soon as possible.

A looming darkness engulfed the hundred or so villagers who stood below the platform where Shirou was being detained. They were overcome with a blood thirsting frenzy, an irrational and almost beast-like state of mind, and a desolate desire for a false sense of justice. It was as if Shirou were staring into a bottomless pit imbued with the evils released from Pandora's Box; a resentful wickedness that lurks deep within mankind.

Their voices called out for death and Shirou emptily gazed upon the disturbing image of those below him. They no longer looked human to him, all he could see now were the movements of shadows as his vision felt like it was becoming distorted from the sickening sight before him. It had never occurred to Shirou that the faces of those he had saved… would ever disgust him as much as it did now.

Did their desire to extinguish Shirou's life overthrow their sensibility and their own human identity?

… Or was this the true hidden face of man?

A stern shove to Shirou's lower back brought him back to reality as he was pushed forward to the edge of the platform. His arms were bound behind his back with steel wires, both of his feet were shackled by heavy chains, and he was surrounded on all sides by armed individuals. His situation would look hopeless to any spectators, yet the possibility of escape was not impossible; in actuality, the chance of eluding incarceration was still within Shirou's capabilities.

In fact, the truth was that Shirou was being falsely accused for a crime in which he was not responsible for. This village and many others were involved in a war between users of magecraft that indiscriminately took the lives of anyone, ranging from children to the elderly who were unfortunate enough to live within the warzone. This battlefield began because a group of practitioners studying magecraft were researching on the forbidden topic of vampires. Their test subjects happened to be the innocent victims from the surrounding villages which resulted in the Living Dead overrunning the surrounding lands; all because of a selfish desire to perfect the ability to become a Dead Apostle. Hundreds of innocents were slaughtered, and Shirou and a few of his allies had hastily intervened in an attempt to stop the mayhem before more serious consequences would take place.

They could not prevent it in time.

Eventually, the Church and the Mage's Association had caught wind of the activities revolving around vampirism and took action to apprehend the group of magi. Shirou and his allies had fought desperately to end the war, yet the perpetrators who initiated the war were never uncovered. Villages were 'cleansed' of all living and nonliving things. Anyone who had even caught a glimpse of magecraft was silenced by the Enforcers, and those who were believed to have contact with the Living Dead were erased by the members of the Church.

Even after a long drawn out battle between the different groups, there was no progress. No one was even sure whether those heretical magi still remained in the country. Still, the investigations of the Church and Mage's Association were to continue until the criminals were found or until all villages within the region were accounted for and eliminated. This meant the number of casualties continued to rise, despite the number of individuals that Shirou was able to save. At times, Shirou himself would combat against other magi in order to save at least one innocent victim who was caught up in this mess. Despite the efforts to stop him by his allies, Shirou could not remain idle while those around him required saving. Inevitably, Shirou decided to temporarily leave his allies in order to act alone for his goal in life; to perform his duties as an 'Ally of Justice'.

Shirou unremittingly fought against the Church and the Mage's Association to save as many as he could. That was until he was betrayed.

Unlike with the Church, Shirou had connections through the Mage's Association through Rin Tohsaka, his most cherished friend. That's why his allies sold him out to the Church. They branded him as the mastermind behind the research on vampires, and blamed him for the massive loss of lives. His ex-allies would be rewarded for the apprehension of the Church's target, and their original objective would be achieved.

There were no connections between Shirou and the Church, and thus, his identity was nothing other than the villain who brought about chaos in this peaceful region. Those he had trusted betrayed him; they had fought together in life or death situations across the lands, and yet, something as simple as ending a mission and acquiring payments was enough for them to break the imaginary bonds Shirou had thought existed.

Rage had embedded itself securely into his mind. Shirou could've struggled to show he was with the Mage's Assocation, and that his ex-allies were fabricating the actual truth to bring about an illusionary ending.

But in the end he didn't. Rin would surely kick his ass and give him the biggest lecture if she had found out about all this.

Shirou understood that the Church probably realized that he was just a scapegoat and that finding the actual group responsible was a fleeting goal. Not only that, but Shirou was reported to have battled against many of their own followers, and had even injured some in his futile attempts to save others. Ultimately, Shirou was the ideal sacrifice to put an end to this story.

A makeshift trial was established in one of the villages in order to provide a modified version of what had transpired to the villagers. Details regarding the existence of magecraft were completely removed from the story, and instead, Shirou was labelled as a terrorist that massacred the surrounding villages for his extremist beliefs and religion.

Gathered below the platform where Shirou was currently standing were the hundreds of faces that Shirou had risked his life to save, and situated in front of Shirou's face was the ominous ligature that would end his life through strangulation. It dangled from side to side as the gentle breeze blew across the bizarre and final stage of the young red-haired adult. The sky was bathed in a dazzling orange hue as twilight approached from the extended horizon. It wasn't obvious to Shirou before, but now that he looked towards the lands, it was beautiful beyond words as eloquent skies contrasted against the plain fields of dirt and grass. For some reason, this sight made Shirou contemplate about how he had lived his seemingly short life. He was still a few months short of nineteen and he still hadn't accomplished as much as he had planned in life.

"You bastard!" anguished cries continued to reverberate across the otherwise silent skies. "My family was living in one of those villages you destroyed!"

"My husband was visiting one of those villages… Why did you take him away from me…?"

"I'll never forgive you, I would kill you myself if I had the chance!"

"My brothers and sisters, you murdered them all! I hope you go to hell you monster!"

"Kill him already!"

"Take this you bastard!"

A sudden force pounded against Shirou's skull as a warm liquid trailed down his face. He continued to hollowly look forward to the fading sun and light. It wasn't long before another solid object crashed into his face, followed by another that scraped across his left shoulder, and soon enough all he could feel was a stinging pain coursing throughout his body.

He was being pelted by rocks by the very people he had saved from a forbidding and unwarranted death. After seeing enough, the guards asked the crowd to cease as they moved to wrap the loop of rope around his neck. Shirou did not resist or plead for mercy; instead he closed his eyes and waited.

Blood continued streaming down his face as he did not bother reinforcing his body to minimize the damage. It was all going to end soon anyway, and then the crowd would cheer over his lifeless body.

However, this foreseeable future did not deter Shirou from his ideals. Despite losing his life for a cause that would never be appreciated, Shirou would die knowing he had saved the lives of hundreds of people. He did not save lives for the rewards, nor was it for the fame. Shirou saved lives because that was his reason for living, it was his very existence, and this end had almost felt fitting for someone like him. Though he had been betrayed, and accused by the very people he had saved; he was happy. Sacrificing his life was a small price to pay for saving the lives of hundreds of individuals.

This was who Shirou Emiya really was, this was his very existence, and this was his fate.

The rope around his neck suddenly tightened as if he were being choked by Death's hands. Shirou's body was suspended up in the air by only the rope, and slowly he began losing consciousness.

With the little strength Shirou had left, he opened his eyes and took one last look at his world. Memories and past experiences flashed before his eyes as he began welcoming death. The time when his past life had ended and he became Shirou Emiya, the look on his father's face as he rescued him from the burning city, the unforgettable times with his father, the dreadful experiences of the Holy Grail War, his decision to become a Freelancer who hunted down heretical magi much like his father, his farewell with Rin who remained at the Clock Tower, and finally, the moment where he was betrayed.

One last question evaded his mind which was starting to slip away into the void.

I wonder… did anyone ever truly understand me?

Before his vision faded away, the last thing he could make out was a flurry of illuminating white butterflies that enveloped his body.

"Aladdin, have you thought of your wish you would like to have granted?" a tender voice was heard from a very unlikely source. A blue giant man who stood well over ten meters tall sat in the center of a large room with his legs crossed. His body was massive and very muscular, yet his face was very woman-like, which often resulted in envy from both genders.

"Yup! I think I know what I want now, Ugo" the short young boy named Aladdin replied with a beaming smile. He had long blue hair in a long braid that reached down to his back. As he spoke, his large and sparkling blue eyes glanced up to his large blue companion.

The two of them were together in a large room known as the 'Room of Fortitude', which could not be unlocked until a certain time. Despite the two of them being acquaintances for large sum of time already, Ugo still had to refrain from telling Aladdin too much information because of restriction placed on him. It greatly hurt him to keep Aladdin in the dark; there was not much Ugo could do for him. So now that the young boy had finally decided on his wish, Ugo was suddenly hit with a sense of euphoria.

"I see, what is your wish then?" Ugo asked with inclination as he motioned forward to hear the young child's desire. The child was special, and it was Ugo's honest aspiration to do whatever was in his power to make Aladdin happy. After all, Aladdin carried a great burden on his shoulders. As a reward for the hardships Aladdin had already endured, and for all the plights and difficulties he would have to challenge in the future, a single wish of his would be bestowed by the powers of the Rukh.

"I want a friend that's similar to me," Aladdin brightly stated with pure and virtuous intentions.

"A friend?" Ugo had not expected such an innocent wish. When given the chance for a wish, it was normal to hear grandiose cravings such as unlimited money, absurd power, or immortality. In a sense, Ugo should not have been surprised; Aladdin was not an ordinary person.

"Yup! You're already my first and best friend, Ugo, but you're very different from me," Aladdin explained the reasoning for his wish. "You've made it clear to me that I'm someone different from everyone in the outside world. Don't you think that's a little lonely?"

"Aladdin…" Ugo was elated to hear that the child had already considered him as a friend, even though it was his duty to keep Aladdin imprisoned inside the Room of Fortitude until further notice. The blue giant was never one to have a lot of friends because of his shy demeanour, and now this young boy was willing to be his friend.

Isolation and seclusion is an attribute given to those that are different from the norms of society. For Aladdin who would carry great power and see the world in a different light; this feeling of never truly fitting in could lead to shattering developments. No one would ever be able to relate to him, and no one would ever share the same happiness and sadness that the boy would experience. It seems Aladdin had already realized the implications of his singularity.

"Are you certain this is your wish?" it was a redundant question by the blue giant; he himself realized this was a wonderful gift for the little boy.

"Yup, I'm sure," Aladdin nodded his head and gave a cheerful expression that showed no hesitation. "I wish to meet someone that is like me; someone who is different from everyone else and alone. I'm not asking to make this person my friend, but if we could just meet, then I'm sure we'll be able to become friends without even realizing it. That way, the both of us will no longer need to feel alone!"

This child… Ugo could not believe how benevolent Aladdin really was. His wish was anything but selfish, and looked to help another individual in the process. No matter whom this new individual would be, Ugo was certain that Aladdin would be able to befriend him from his compassion alone.

"Your wish will be granted then, Aladdin," a smile was plastered on Ugo's face as he gathered the necessary powers in the room. He called out to the home of souls, the flow of life, the power known as Rukh. When a life is born it moves within this flow and is guided along in what is known as fate. The Rukh is the force of the universe which controls all events and phenomena within it, and because of that, it will surely grant Aladdin's wish without fail.

Both Ugo and Aladdin continued to smile without constraint and passively looked towards the ceiling of the room where the Rukh danced in a joyous excitement. An immense force was being gathered and slowly entering the world; it was a foreign and unknown being. This entity was surely brought into this world by the Rukh's Guidance as being the one most suitable for Aladdin's wish. It seems the Rukh took the term 'different' too literally though as they appeared to have snatched someone from another dimension.

Or perhaps… there will be something very special about our new friend.

In an open garden of the royal castle within the mighty Kou Empire, a fickle and attractive queen suddenly halts in her tracks and freezes to survey her surrounds.

Likewise, in the land of magic known as the country of Magnashutatt, an old and wise magician sits at his desk while reading over his books about the secrets of the world. His silent and focused concentration is abruptly disrupted.

And in the opposite side of the world in the Laem Empire, a young female that would often be mistaken for an angel sits upon her golden throne surrounded by her servants. A gasp escapes her mouth as a compelling force moves through her.

The thoughts of these three individuals resonate as they glance towards the disordered flow of the Rukh.

"Something is coming…"

"The flow of the Rukh is shifting!"

"In the eastern lands, someone with great power has just been brought into this world…"

Fate works in the strangest ways, and as a new individual finds his place in this unknown world, the flow of life ventures down a mysterious route.

[Prologue End]

This is my side scribble, or maybe it'll become another main-scribble along with my other story depending on whether everything works out. After reading over what my Beta-reader had suggested about my other story, I concluded that he was completely right. So once I get the motivation to change some things up, I'll post it up. In the meantime, enjoy my new interest!

Author Notes:

Here's my introduction to my second fanfiction where I throw Shirou into the Magi world. I originally wanted to name the story 'Magi Killer', but that wouldn't work for this story despite it being a brilliant name lol. Not really much else to say as this is only the prologue, but I'll throw in some information.

This is UBW Shirou which somehow achieves a similar ending to Archer. I was actually trying not to use Shirou as the protagonist again, but I couldn't think of anyone else that fits the bill. Also, a certain physical characteristic of Shirou is too irresistible to not use.

*Remade a bit of the last portion of the prologue based on the ideas of a couple reviews.

Because this is a completely new idea of mine, feel free to drop in any kinds of ideas and suggestions! I have a rough plot sketched out already, but I'm welcome to changes if it follows along what I'm planning. So please leave a review about what you like/hate so far. Next chapter will be posted in a very short amount of time.

See you soon,

Cheers!