Will you listen to my tale?

"Do it, damn it! If you want her to live, then do it! Show no fear! Don't you know who the hell you are?!"

He shakily raised the object in his hand toward his head, as blood oozed from his many wounds. He shook under his own weight, for standing was nearly impossible for him. But his eyes were cold steel, like the many weapons the boy did not know he even possessed. Yet despite the pain, despite the voice in his head that told him to give up at every step, he would continue to move forward. He would mask his pain. He was too determined to fall, to give up, or to back down now. For the sake of continuing to live, he would remain standing.

"I am the embodiment of the soul.

Masks are my identity and my weapon."

"Per..." The boy tried to say the word, but it evaded him.

The smallest hint of a memory came to him. He raised his head towards the sky, staring at the white moon. Why was it white? It didn't feel natural to him. He felt like he didn't belong in this place, yet it was his home for now. It was the only place he knew now. He watched the girl, the one who had become his friend and ally in this place, cry. She never cried; never even shed a single tear. It enraged him. He felt anger as he had never felt before. It was burning, flaming inferno inside him, threatening to tear him apart every time he moved. He pressed the object in his hand harder and harder against his temple. For his precious friend... for himself... He would fight! He would win! He would conquer! He would live! No, everyone would live!

"How can he remain standing?! With those wounds... Impossible! He should be dead! You should be dead!" A voice exclaimed in disbelief.

"Forged by countless bonds in the heat of passion and tempered by love.

Life is my choice and Death is my enemy."

"Per..." The boy began once more.

He placed his finger on the trigger; the sensation gave him instant relief. The ghosts of his memory began to whisper to him, slowly uncovering the memories that were buried. A smile formed on his face, despite the wracking sobs of his friend and to the disbelief of his enemy. It was a feral smile. He now knew that everything would be alright. For he had the power to protect those closest to him. The power to change the world.

"Endlessly enduring the hatred of the world,

I do not hesitate. I do not fail."

"Hahaha! So you're not dead, huh? Well, let's see if you can finally face me like a man!" The same voice from earlier shouted, excited.

"Per... so..." He approached the memory, steadily drawing closer. The word was on the tip of his tongue. His body began to shake even harder with the loss of more and more blood. If things continued the way they were, he would die, but...

He had the power to do the impossible, to decide his own fate. He would not be trapped by fate, would not be led to some unknown destiny. He would not be manipulated, not be preyed upon. Even if the world stood against him, he would continue to define his own reality as long as he could protect at least one soul. He was not the victim of life.

"For I am the Cipher,

I am the sacrifice."

"Per...so..."

He was the protector of life. And this was his 10-Count Aria... his Aria of the Soul.

"I am that which protects the world, unseen by all but those chosen few.

In the end, I'm only just another..."

"PERSONA!" The boy screamed, laughing as he felt power flood his veins with the simple pull of the trigger. Sweat drops began to roll down the back of his enemy, for his enemy could not hope to compete with the sheer amount of power radiating from the kid. This was because this "kid" had done it.

He remembered it.

His power. And he would use it to its full extent.

But how did it come to this? What started the Journey of this boy? How does it end? What if I told you it was just a simple error? An oversight, a small chance that none thought possible, caused this all. There was no intervention by high-powered beings that resembled humans, no magic spell or replacement used to begin this all. It was merely an accident. But even so, it caused my new Journey to begin. It changed the fate of many. Perhaps for the better or maybe even for the worse. Do you want to know?

Now, I ask this of you once more: Will you listen to my tale?

The Error

Chapter 1: I'm Your Master

"I announce! Thy body shall be under my command, my fate shall be determined by thy sword! Follow the call of the Holy Grail. If thou wouldst obey this mind and this reason, obey me! Then I shall entrust my fate to your sword...!"

— Rin Tohsaka

"I'm your Master." The girl declared once more. My vision was still blurry. I shakily stood to my feet from this... this throne of debris I found myself on. Did I crash in from the ceiling or what? The room had expensive looking furniture as well... that I crashed through. I couldn't make out any details about her. My head hurt. Where was I? Who was I? And since when was I a slave to this girl?

"No. No, you're not. Shut up and let me gather my thoughts. Whatever you have to say can wait, girl-I've-never-seen-before-in-my-life. Ow, my head." I replied once more, still trying to get my bearings. Why was my mind so... empty? Damn, did a truck hit me? How could I miss that? I hope somebody got it on video. I'd like to be able to see what face I made when I got it. I don't think I've ever been hit by a truck before. It seems like something that would stick out in my... blank memory. Being an amnesiac sucks.

"Yes. I. Am. I-I have the Command Spell to prove it!" She was angry. What was this about Command Spells? Do I have a slave brand or something? Or was she and I playing some sort of magical S&M game and I forgot halfway through? Nah, that can't be it. I'm not dressed for the occasion. I was wearing some sort of... school uniform. How old was I? Did I go to school? What school? I took a step forward.

"Girl, I have no idea what the hell you are talking about. If you keep yelling at this poor amnesiac, then I'm gonna slap you. I think I'm strong enough for it to hurt, too." My vision was so clearing up. I began to see the features of the girl who called herself my "master". This girl in front of me... she was pretty angry and upset. Apparently, me denying her as my master was angering her greatly. I may have also... accidentally... provoked her as well. I'm... not going to go into the details.

"Amnesiac...?" She looked at the clock on the wall and her frown deepened. She threw her hands up in the air. "Aaaugh! I messed it up! I knew this would happen! You don't even look like a Saber!" She was pointing at me. Saber? What was this girl talking about? A saber is a sword, right? Even so, the way she said it was insulting.

"Messed what up? And why do you think I would be a sword? And even if I'm not a sword, I still think I'm sharp. Huh, get it?" I said with a smile, cracking a horrible, horrible pun. I don't even know if it counted as a pun. Pun... it reminded me of someone. Someone I hated. Traitor? That was the word I had associated with that locked memory in my mind. I wonder what it meant? Who was the traitor? The girl glared at me. Apparently, she wasn't in a mood for a pun. Shame.

"Is this some sort of joke to you?!" She said angrily. I decided to keep a straight face for the duration of our time we spent talking. It felt more... natural, as if I normally always kept a straight face. I could make her laugh later.

"No... It's not a joke. Look, I don't know who you are or who I am. I wake up being told I have to be a servant to someone I've never met before in my life against my will and when I try to get my head on straight, I get yelled at. Personally, I think I have more of a right to get angry then you do. I don't even know you. However, I'm not going to yell. I'm not going to get mad. I'm going to figure out why I'm here and who I am calmly like an adult. So, I want you to answer this: Why am I here? And who are you?" I meant to ask who I was, but those words seemed to come out instead, as if the ghosts of my memories were influencing me. The girl seemed to calm down. I had a feeling she was normally like this. Calm one moment, and full of energy the next.

She had these brilliant, big blue eyes and long dark hair. She'd be the type that was popular with the boys. The type that could get any boy she wanted. I kind of... didn't like that. A memory seemed tied to that category of girl, although this girl had a different air about her. Odd. She took in another shaky breath in an attempt to completely calm herself. It seemed to work as she began to speak calmer and her posture became more relaxed.

"...I'm Rin. Rin Tohsaka of the Tohsaka family of magi. And I... summoned you here for a reason. You're a Heroic Spirit, my Servant. We're supposed to fight in the Holy Grail War together, although I was hoping to summon someone else. No offense, I'm just a little disappointed and it comes out more when I'm... upset. You'll do fine." She said it as if she was reassuring herself... I'm still offended. "Anyway, we're supposed to form a contract now. You know... you agree to fight for me so we can get the Holy Grail?" I shook my head. I had no idea what she was saying. "Geez... you should know this type of stuff. I'm the one who summoned you, a part of the war itself. Shouldn't you already know about these things?" She said, looking off to the side as she did so.

To be honest, this all sounded outlandish and weird. I didn't want to go fight in some strange war. I didn't even know if this girl was telling the truth, but... the way she spoke convinced me. She said this all like she had been taught about it from birth. Which she probably was. And I didn't have any other explanation than hers. Although it didn't make much sense, it was all I had right now. The least I could do was go along with it.

"Well, at least we can be civil. And, seeing as I have no other options due to being an amnesiac and you're the only person I now know, I'll fight with you in this war. If I'm a part of this war like you say, then I should be able to remember things about myself along the way. I may not be who you wanted, but I'm who you have. So from now on, we're partners. Not Master and slave or Servant or whatever your fetish is," I said. Oooh. She got angry at that part. Well, I guess I should finish this up before she explodes again. "Call me... Savior, Rin-san. I think that is my... class? I'm in a class? Well, it explains the school uniform at least." I said, using her given name, as opposed to her family name. I didn't mean it to be rude, but...

"Don't just go using my first name. We hardly know one another..." She scolded me for that. This time she managed not to yell at least. She let out an irritated sigh. Things must not be going the way she expected. "Fine, I'll accept your offer to be partners, but I'll be the senior partner. That means I'll call the shots." She still took offense, though I could tell she was slightly happy at my consenting to fight with her. I nodded affirmatively as I brushed my hair out of my eyes. It was blue. I had blue hair. Did I dye my hair? No, it was natural. How... odd. So... I'm a blue-haired Savior in a school uniform. Brilliant. That's all I know about myself.

Oh, and apparently I'm now partnered with a girl who wants to fight in a war for the Holy Grail.

Sounds fun.

The Holy Grail.

A Noble Phantasm so powerful it can grant the wish of whoever obtains it, whether it be good or evil. Its origin is unknown, yet it is certain that it never received the blood of God. However, it matches the power of the one of legend. Wars have been waged over the centuries to obtain it, to gain that singular wish. A great ritual is needed in order to obtain it, one that has been practiced for those hundreds of years. Seven magi would gather for a miracle to perform. They would summon the Holy Grail. However, fighting eventually broke out as to who would obtain the Grail. The seven magi used the Grail's power to summon Servants to fight. Now, they continue to fight in the Holy Grail Wars. Seven Masters and seven Servants are be chosen to compete. The last Master and Servant standing would both get their wishes. Only one pair could survive. The Master would be the magus, the summoner of the Servant. They would gain three Command Spells to give three absolute commands to their Servant. Commands that would make something ordinarily impossible become possible. The Servant would be a being known as a Heroic Spirit, an individual with immense power who made their mark on history. A legendary figure, perhaps even one who fought for the Grail itself once before. The magic to create such beings came from the Holy Grail itself. The Heaven's Feel, also known as the third sorcery, allows materialization of the soul. Life after death. Immortality. But as this is seen as a contradiction against nature, the materialized Servant needs a constant supply of prana, magical energy, from their Master to stay materialized.

However, this process is by no means perfect.

A Few Hours of Explanation Later...

"I've never heard of the Savior class before. You don't even look like a Heroic Spirit. You look like a modern teenager, like you're my age. Are you sure you don't remember anything?" Rin asked me as we sat in her living room hours later. Rin had a mansion. She was from a rich family of magi or something like that. Magic? It existed. The revelation should have surprised, but I felt that somewhere in my memory I already knew it existed. I soaked up all the other information she told me like a sponge. I was in Fuyuki City in Japan. There was a Holy Grail War about to begin and I had to fight all the other Masters and Servants to get the Holy Grail and be granted a wish. I honestly didn't want to kill anyone. When I voiced this concern she frowned and told me I only had to defeat the Servants, though killing the Masters seemed much quicker.

As for the wish, Rin just wanted to win at any cost. She was a bit ruthless and it felt like she had something to prove. And she was fiercely competitive. If I had a wish... well, I didn't know what to do with it, but this girl would die if I wasn't there to protect her. After hearing everything, I knew I had to step in. I couldn't let that happen. She was, despite her shouting, a nice girl. I guess you could just say I had a feeling that she was a lot nicer than she appeared. Her life was on the line here. And according to her, if she died then I would disappear. She was supposedly giving me magic, or prana as she called it, to keep me in this world.

"No, I don't. I have this holster at my side with a gun in it, but it doesn't seem to shoot bullets. That and I have these. Just these few things, my uniform, and my life." I pulled an mp3 player with headphones out of my jacket pocket. Just touching the headphones seemed to almost trigger a memory associated with them. She showed slight surprise, but immediately went to thinking. This girl was an intellectual, that much was for certain.

"Maybe you're a modern day hero. It's strange, but not too far-fetched. I never heard of a modern teenager that would qualify as a Heroic Spirit, but that's not to say there isn't one. As for that gun... maybe it's for shooting something else. Maybe it isn't really a gun. That armband you're wearing is curious as well. And well, I hate to break it to you, but you're dead or at least somewhere between life and death for you to be summoned as a Servant." She said in a sympathetic tone. I decided to stop being surprised. As far as I know, I'm still alive. If I was dead, then that doesn't mean crap. I'm alive now, so I'm going to enjoy it.

"So what? I'm living and breathing right now. That's all that matters." I said plainly. She seemed surprised by my response, but then the look slowly turned into a smile. She stood to her feet. She looked better smiling. For some odd reason... I wanted to protect that smile. I didn't even know this girl, yet... I felt that way.

"That's the spirit! We'll get to work on finding you a Servant to fight. I'm sure you at least remember how to fight. Even though you don't look strong, you could specialize in something that doesn't require physical prowess like magic. Maybe you'll even remember what that weird gun is for. Although, it really stinks I don't know more about your class. If I did, it would tell me how strong you are. It makes forming a plan difficult." I nodded, not wanting to tell her the truth. That I didn't remember how to fight. I stood to my feet and stretched. I had a feeling it was going to be a long journey.

"Don't worry. You will not lose. I won't let you lose. I won't let you die. I'm more than strong enough to handle the Servants that would harm you." I said, pumped up. Her face turned slightly red at that. Aww. She blushed. I guess she is weak to heroics. I fully believed my words for some reason too. I knew I was strong. I may not remember how to use my power, but I remember that I have a lot of it. However, one question continuously nagged at me in the back of my head...

Am I alive?

"Hey, Savior. It's late. Three o' clock in the morning to be exact. Do you remember how to switch into your Spiritual Body at least?" She asked. I had no clue what she was asking of me, so I shook my head. She sighed and gestured for me to follow her.

"You're so troublesome. Well, you can use on of the rooms. This is a big house and I live alone, after all. I have to go to school in the morning though... It will be problematic if you aren't close to me at all times... I could transfer you in to the school. It would only take one quick call and a little bit of the Tohsaka family's influence. We are in charge of this area, so it should be easy." She said matter-of-factly. Well, she has quite a good bit of foresight.

"Thanks. Rin-san, you're an awesome partner." I complimented. She looked away.

"W-well, it's the least I can do for my idiotic partner who can't remember anything." She happily took the praise, despite how she tried to hide it. Then she realized something. Her gaze hardened as she focused it on me once more.

"Yep, I called you by your first name again. I don't believe in formalities! Suck iiiit!" I exclaimed as I ran away. She didn't chase me, though. Bummer. I guess she was tired. It was three o' clock in the morning...

"Come back here!"

Oops. Guess I was wrong.

She chased me for another hour before giving up and deciding to make that phone call to transfer me. From the way she smiled, I get the feeling she had fun, like she never had company in this house before. Like she never played in this house before. I put together my first impression of the first person I met here as I lay in my bed.

Rin Tohsaka was a girl that wanted to prove herself, loved to win, was an intellectual and thought things out, was quick to anger, loved to take praise but was dishonest about it, and she was concerned with formality. But there was something else I sense when I was with her. Something else that helped to clear up the picture I had of her in my mind. I could sense it in the way she spoke and seemed to welcome my presence so readily.

Rin Tohsaka was lonely.

The Next Day

"Savior? Wake up. Wake up. Wake up! Look at the time! We slept through school! C'mon, you're lazier than me! Erm... disregard that! Wake up!" I woke up to her shouting. No, that's a lie. I woke up to her pouring ice water all over me. And then I went back to sleep.

"Goodnight... Rin-san..." I sleepily murmured. Wrong answer.

"WAKE UP!" Then my bed was blasted by magic. I looked towards her dryly as I sat on the floor. The bed had been blasted against the wall. Somehow, I had jumped into the air at the last minute and did a backflip as I landed in my current sitting position. It was cool how I had subconsciously done it, but still... using magic to wake me up was going a lot bit overboard. She seemed to notice this and regret showed a little on her face. But, according to her, I'm a Heroic Spirit. We don't usually get hurt by normal magi.

"Rin Tohsaka. There are better ways to wake a man up. Like food." I said coldly. She scoffed.

"Whatever! Since we missed school, let's go look for a Servant instead." She said as she turned on her heel and walked out the door. I smiled as I stood to my feet. She was a fun partner. What day was it? Was there even school today? I almost got the feeling she was joking from the way she seemed to blow off school so easily. Was she?

"Standing on top of a rooftop? Really? How creative." I commented as we walked through the streets. Her idea was to go somewhere high up. It seemed like something logical. We should have done it in the very beginning. Until now, she had been dragging me all around town with a serious look on her face. She was determined, that's for sure.

"Well, do you have anything else in mind?" She asked, a little upset. I mulled it over for a bit. I could... Yeah! That's it!

"We'll wait at the school!"

"Huh?" The blank look on her face told me I needed some explaining to do.

"Well, you're a well-known magus in this area, right? If we were to stay after the place you must frequently visit, then we're bound to be attacked. Let's have the enemy come to us instead of wasting our time going after them. After all, the war hasn't even really started, right? We can get rid of the overly ambitious ones now, leaving only the ones that prefer to wait. Then we won't have to worry about being attacked later on and can mount a full offensive. An all-out attack..." All-out attack? That was important... What did it mean? Was it related to something. I grasped my head in pain.

"Savior? Are you okay?" She looked worried. I gave her a slight smile and a nod.

"I'm fine. I just almost remembered something. That's all. Anyway, about the plan..."

We talked for a while longer before fully deciding on a course of action. After that, the air between the two of us seemed lighter than when we first met as we decided to go and have fun for the day (my own suggestion). It was a great day. We laughed a lot. Despite Rin's protests about us needing to focus more on the Holy Grail War, the fun really helped her. Although, I doubt she would admit it.

We had no idea how hard we would be fighting for our lives the next day.

I had no idea how much power I truly had... or how to use it.

And a certain person named Shirou Emiya... well... He was in for a shocker.

"You are my Servant. And I am your Master. Right, Archer?"

"That is correct. You are my Master. Unfortunately..."

"Hgrk! Archer... you... what are you doing?! You're mine!"

"Being my Master does not make you Nyx-sama. After all, you weren't even supposed to have a Servant. You only 'got me' due to a mistake. One that I am glad for. Goodbye, filthy human. You'll be the second 'Shinji' I've eliminated. Be proud. May Nyx-sama cleanse your pitiful existence." And with a single bullet, Shinji Matou was killed.

The thing about a single error is that...

It makes more errors possible.

A/N: WHY?! WHY?! WHY?! I have too many stories now!

...Yet... I'm writing three more... Why...? This is my first attempt at a first person POV story. I'm usually good with third-person, but this is a new experience for me. I decided on first person solely because that is the way Fate/Stay Night is. If you guys like it, then I will use it for my Sekirei/Persona crossover I'm working on. Also, The Celestial Suicide Mage, and M1N470 almost have their updates complete. I just need to get inspired again.

Anyway, review, favorite, or follow if you want me to do another chapter. Also, as for the normal Archer, the error that occured has something to do with him. It will change Shirou's fate for sure. And if you are wondering when the first scene takes place, don't ask. It's a secret.

REVIEW, FAVORITE, FOLLOW. Pretty please with Saber on top?