Pre-chapter notes: My first attempt at a serious FSN fic. Enjoy.
Disclaimer: Fate/stay night is the property of TypeMoon. I sure as hell donÆt own it. Magic: The Gathering references are the property of Wizards of the Coast.
Interchanged Fates û Prologue
London, United Kingdom û 11:13 PM (April 4, 2006)
She should be sleeping by all means as her next class starts at eight in the morning but she couldnÆt stop herself now. She was so close to such a major breakthrough that could change how wizards viewed temporal magic. Besides, her professor could just ask for a pardon from the proctor running the class.
As a member of the Tohsaka family, Rin was obligated to uphold a high standard when studying to become a magus like her elders. The academy worked similarly to a PhD program in world class universities. Students would work on a major project which would compose a huge part of a written thesis with a professor acting as both supervisor and mentor. Upon her arrival, she had been paired up with a middle-aged African male who went by the name of Teferi, who had a knack for temporal magic and manipulation.
Over the past month, she had studied his theories and had been inspired to design and conduct a little experiment of her own to confirm an idea that had wormed its way into her brain. The experiment itself revolved around a particular artifact, a pair of ruby sunglasses belong to Head Master Urza that Teferi æborrowedÆ, which has been chosen for the experiment. What would be done is that the sunglasses would first be smashed by a wooden bokken (a going away gift that she had received from Taiga-sensei). Then she would prepare the spell which would send the bokken to a sub-space field that existed outside of the time stream. That would essentially cause a ripple through time and restore the sunglasses as if they had never been smashed in the first place. She also had another spell which could retrieve said bokken from sub-space and change things back to the way they were.
Of course, Teferi would probably prefer if the bokken remained erased from history. At least he wouldnÆt have to deal with an upset Head Master.
æLooks like things are as ready as theyÆll ever be.Æ Her mentor would be coming soon with a set of Moxen, jewels that naturally produced mana on their own. It would make the experiment much easier to conduct since they wouldnÆt need to use their own mana reserves for this experiment.
**********
æAh, Rin-chan. YouÆre just like your ancestoràÆ
A tall man wearing black clothes and white gloves smiled to himself as his enhanced nocturnal vision allowed him to view what was going on in the small, candle-lit workspace in the academy. The magic that she was working on bore a strong resemblance to his ôKaleidoscopeö work. It was fortunate that she got to work with someone like Teferi instead of Jaya, that impulsive female spellshaper.
He did consider her accomplishment to be very impressive but there were tiny important details that she had not discovered yet. The only way for her to discover them is to be put into a pressure situation where the solution lies within said details. He arrived at the simple conclusion that she needed a æpop quizÆ. After all, it wouldnÆt be fair if he kept his traumatizing tutoring methods to strictly the students that he gets assigned.
As mana started to gather in his right hand, Zelretch the Wizard Marshall pondered if she would be able to cope better than Nagato-san and her father when he gave them their own æpop quizzesÆ.
**********
With the five Moxen powering up the spell being used, both student and professor watched as the bokken slowly started to dissipate and the red shattered glass that belonged to the sunglasses started coming back together.
ôRemarkableàö said Teferi under his breath. ôIf this experiment turns out well, I donÆt see the Association having any objection to granting you the title of True Magus.ö
Rin gave an absent nod and kept focused on the experiment. ôMana flow is stableàö She trailed off as she observed a sudden influx of additional mana. ôWhere did this come from?!ö
Teferi looked on as alarm appeared over his dark features. ôImpossible! The Moxen shouldnÆt be producing that much mana! We have to shut this experiment down!ö
The young woman didnÆt give any argument and was about to start speaking in German for a counter spell when the spell itself started to magnify beyond her expectations. With the mana that was being charged in it, it would take a higher level counter spell to deactivate the experiment.
The only thing she could do before the whole world went into oblivion is curse.
ôShit!ö
Japan, Fuyuki City û 7:43 AM (April 5, 2006)
Thirty Minutes Prior to the Experimentà
Breakfast at Emiya ShirouÆs household was a lively affair as usual.
ôYou are such a little brat! How come you couldnÆt get any other family to take care of her, Shirou?!ö exclaimed Fujimura as she blocked another stab by IlyaÆs chopsticks.
ôOnii-chan would never want to get rid of me! YouÆre just mad because you suck at this, baka-Taiga!ö Ilya darted in and was successfully able to snag a piece of cod from FujimuraÆs plate. She happily popped it in her own mouth and made a big display of chewing and swallowing to further upset the older woman.
She knew she was exhibiting poor table manners which would make her family gasp in shock but getting to infuriate Taiga like this was extreme fun.
While the teacher and the albino girl started to duel again with their chopsticks, ShirouÆs eyes kept making their way back to the kitchen entrance from the main hall as if waiting for someone to pop in. He had to remind himself (for the third time today) that Saber is not coming back and Rin is in London.
ôDo you miss her, Sempai?ö
His mind snapped back to reality as he saw Sakura refill his bowl with some more rice. ôI do but as long as I can keep the memories in my mind and in my heart, she will always be with me.ö He gave a wistful smile and missed the slightly pained look on SakuraÆs face.
The morning chaos eventually subsided as everybody except for Ilya prepared to go to school. Shirou still felt concerned about leaving Ilya all alone in his huge mansion but he had to remind himself that she is smarter than she appeared to be as she had been BerserkerÆs Master in the previous War.
While Fujimura went on ahead to avoid being tardy again, Sakura and Shirou walked their usual route to the school in silence. They were only a few steps away from school when Sakura spoke up. ôSempaià have you heard from my brother?ö
It took him a few moments to state the lie that he had practiced to himself at night. ôUnfortunately no. As soon as I hear from him, IÆll let you know. ö ItÆs starting to come out easier now. The last thing he wanted was to blurt out that ShinjiÆs murderer is the person currently staying in his household as a ward.
ôI see. Thank you.ö
Shirou couldnÆt help but feel a little upset at himself for causing her distress. ôWe better get going. The last thing we want is to get a lecture on tardiness from Fuji-nee.ö
The ironic thought caused Sakura to giggle. She went on ahead to the school gate but when she noticed that Shirou was not following her, she spun back around and gasped at the sight before her.
He was slumped against the stone wall, breathing heavily. His face was covered in sweat and he looked very sick. She knelt near his fallen form and placed a hand on his forehead. It felt extremely warm. ôSempai!!ö
The male barely heard her cries as he tried to fight off the nausea and dizziness that struck him. But it was far more intense than the nausea he felt when Rider used her Blood Fort Andromeda Noble Phantasm. The last thing his mind registered before shutting down was his head slumping forward and touching SakuraÆs chest.
**********
He didnÆt feel any better when he came to but at least he was in the school infirmary since he was lying on a bed. But when he opened his eyes, he noticed that he was not in the school infirmary but rather someoneÆs personal bedroom which was filled with some bows and stuffed animals. ôAre you alright, Sempai?ö
ôS-Sakura?ö He turned his head over to see her concerned plum eyes standing over him. She wasnÆt dressed for school and was wearing a casual pink vest over a white top with a beige dress. Before he could speak again, he felt some bile in his throat and managed to prevent himself from puking over the girl.
ôLetÆs get you to the bathroom!ö She quickly helped him out of the bed and led him to a toilet. As soon as he entered the washroom, he bent himself over the toilet water and threw up. Sakura remained by his side, gently patting his back. ôJust let it out, Sempaiàö
After a few minutes of puking, he felt a bit better but his body still needed some rest. He also vaguely noted that he wasnÆt in his school uniform but rather his casual clothing consisting of his blue and white top and a pair of jeans. She must have changed him out of his school uniform when he puked on it or something. ôSorry to bother you like thisàö
ôItÆs ok, Sempai. LetÆs get you back to my room so you can lie down and get some rest.ö She helped him out of the bathroom and slowly led him back to the bedroom.
As he started to relax, he was able to murmur a light æthank youÆ before drifting off. She smiled and placed a gentle kiss on his forehead before exiting the bedroom and closing the door behind her.
She made her way downstairs, intending to go to the mansionÆs basement where her tools and the other household occupants are being kept. When she felt a familiar presence, she paused. ôReport.ö
ôIllyasviel and Tohsaka have escaped with the assistance of Rider. ArcherÆs whereabouts are unknown but it is likely that he survived the battle with True Assassin.ö
Perhaps she should have stayed to ensure that the vessel had been secured but she wanted to get Shirou away from that bitch sister of hers. At least the WarÆs End Date has been extended. Originally, it was to end on February 14 but now the opportunity to create a Holy Grail will run through the rest of this month. It was unusual but then again, the event horizon had just experienced an unusual shockwave of chrono magic, sending ripples through time and space.
RiderÆs intervention was quite a surprise factor but if thereÆs one thing she knows about her first Servant, itÆs that sheÆs a very resourceful combatant who can compensate for her low power. She would need to repeat the rebirth process for her just as she did for Saber and Berserker. What type of Master would she be if she neglected that simple duty?
ôWell, weÆll have to draw them out another way. IÆll think of it later. In the meantime, you can guard my guest upstairs for me while Ià speak with my family.ö
ôThey are still alive?ö asked the voice in a puzzled tone. The being could not understand why the Master kept her family alive after everything they have done to her.
Just as the thought passed, red markings appeared on the left side of SakuraÆs exposed face and hand. Her plum eyes and hair were replaced with white hair and red eyes. ôThey are AngraÆs reward to me. I shall kill them a hundred times a day.ö
She resumed her trek to the basement, humming the melody to the first InuYasha opening song under her breath.
END PROLOGUE
Post-chapter notes: Well, here I am with another project on my plate. Commitment level is a bit iffy but I will do my best. After all, I havenÆt given up on my threads at the Anime Addventure. Comments would be appreciated!
Disclaimer: Fate/stay night is the property of TypeMoon. I sure as hell donÆt own it. Magic: The Gathering references are the property of Wizards of the Coast.
Interchanged Fates û Prologue
London, United Kingdom û 11:13 PM (April 4, 2006)
She should be sleeping by all means as her next class starts at eight in the morning but she couldnÆt stop herself now. She was so close to such a major breakthrough that could change how wizards viewed temporal magic. Besides, her professor could just ask for a pardon from the proctor running the class.
As a member of the Tohsaka family, Rin was obligated to uphold a high standard when studying to become a magus like her elders. The academy worked similarly to a PhD program in world class universities. Students would work on a major project which would compose a huge part of a written thesis with a professor acting as both supervisor and mentor. Upon her arrival, she had been paired up with a middle-aged African male who went by the name of Teferi, who had a knack for temporal magic and manipulation.
Over the past month, she had studied his theories and had been inspired to design and conduct a little experiment of her own to confirm an idea that had wormed its way into her brain. The experiment itself revolved around a particular artifact, a pair of ruby sunglasses belong to Head Master Urza that Teferi æborrowedÆ, which has been chosen for the experiment. What would be done is that the sunglasses would first be smashed by a wooden bokken (a going away gift that she had received from Taiga-sensei). Then she would prepare the spell which would send the bokken to a sub-space field that existed outside of the time stream. That would essentially cause a ripple through time and restore the sunglasses as if they had never been smashed in the first place. She also had another spell which could retrieve said bokken from sub-space and change things back to the way they were.
Of course, Teferi would probably prefer if the bokken remained erased from history. At least he wouldnÆt have to deal with an upset Head Master.
æLooks like things are as ready as theyÆll ever be.Æ Her mentor would be coming soon with a set of Moxen, jewels that naturally produced mana on their own. It would make the experiment much easier to conduct since they wouldnÆt need to use their own mana reserves for this experiment.
**********
æAh, Rin-chan. YouÆre just like your ancestoràÆ
A tall man wearing black clothes and white gloves smiled to himself as his enhanced nocturnal vision allowed him to view what was going on in the small, candle-lit workspace in the academy. The magic that she was working on bore a strong resemblance to his ôKaleidoscopeö work. It was fortunate that she got to work with someone like Teferi instead of Jaya, that impulsive female spellshaper.
He did consider her accomplishment to be very impressive but there were tiny important details that she had not discovered yet. The only way for her to discover them is to be put into a pressure situation where the solution lies within said details. He arrived at the simple conclusion that she needed a æpop quizÆ. After all, it wouldnÆt be fair if he kept his traumatizing tutoring methods to strictly the students that he gets assigned.
As mana started to gather in his right hand, Zelretch the Wizard Marshall pondered if she would be able to cope better than Nagato-san and her father when he gave them their own æpop quizzesÆ.
**********
With the five Moxen powering up the spell being used, both student and professor watched as the bokken slowly started to dissipate and the red shattered glass that belonged to the sunglasses started coming back together.
ôRemarkableàö said Teferi under his breath. ôIf this experiment turns out well, I donÆt see the Association having any objection to granting you the title of True Magus.ö
Rin gave an absent nod and kept focused on the experiment. ôMana flow is stableàö She trailed off as she observed a sudden influx of additional mana. ôWhere did this come from?!ö
Teferi looked on as alarm appeared over his dark features. ôImpossible! The Moxen shouldnÆt be producing that much mana! We have to shut this experiment down!ö
The young woman didnÆt give any argument and was about to start speaking in German for a counter spell when the spell itself started to magnify beyond her expectations. With the mana that was being charged in it, it would take a higher level counter spell to deactivate the experiment.
The only thing she could do before the whole world went into oblivion is curse.
ôShit!ö
Japan, Fuyuki City û 7:43 AM (April 5, 2006)
Thirty Minutes Prior to the Experimentà
Breakfast at Emiya ShirouÆs household was a lively affair as usual.
ôYou are such a little brat! How come you couldnÆt get any other family to take care of her, Shirou?!ö exclaimed Fujimura as she blocked another stab by IlyaÆs chopsticks.
ôOnii-chan would never want to get rid of me! YouÆre just mad because you suck at this, baka-Taiga!ö Ilya darted in and was successfully able to snag a piece of cod from FujimuraÆs plate. She happily popped it in her own mouth and made a big display of chewing and swallowing to further upset the older woman.
She knew she was exhibiting poor table manners which would make her family gasp in shock but getting to infuriate Taiga like this was extreme fun.
While the teacher and the albino girl started to duel again with their chopsticks, ShirouÆs eyes kept making their way back to the kitchen entrance from the main hall as if waiting for someone to pop in. He had to remind himself (for the third time today) that Saber is not coming back and Rin is in London.
ôDo you miss her, Sempai?ö
His mind snapped back to reality as he saw Sakura refill his bowl with some more rice. ôI do but as long as I can keep the memories in my mind and in my heart, she will always be with me.ö He gave a wistful smile and missed the slightly pained look on SakuraÆs face.
The morning chaos eventually subsided as everybody except for Ilya prepared to go to school. Shirou still felt concerned about leaving Ilya all alone in his huge mansion but he had to remind himself that she is smarter than she appeared to be as she had been BerserkerÆs Master in the previous War.
While Fujimura went on ahead to avoid being tardy again, Sakura and Shirou walked their usual route to the school in silence. They were only a few steps away from school when Sakura spoke up. ôSempaià have you heard from my brother?ö
It took him a few moments to state the lie that he had practiced to himself at night. ôUnfortunately no. As soon as I hear from him, IÆll let you know. ö ItÆs starting to come out easier now. The last thing he wanted was to blurt out that ShinjiÆs murderer is the person currently staying in his household as a ward.
ôI see. Thank you.ö
Shirou couldnÆt help but feel a little upset at himself for causing her distress. ôWe better get going. The last thing we want is to get a lecture on tardiness from Fuji-nee.ö
The ironic thought caused Sakura to giggle. She went on ahead to the school gate but when she noticed that Shirou was not following her, she spun back around and gasped at the sight before her.
He was slumped against the stone wall, breathing heavily. His face was covered in sweat and he looked very sick. She knelt near his fallen form and placed a hand on his forehead. It felt extremely warm. ôSempai!!ö
The male barely heard her cries as he tried to fight off the nausea and dizziness that struck him. But it was far more intense than the nausea he felt when Rider used her Blood Fort Andromeda Noble Phantasm. The last thing his mind registered before shutting down was his head slumping forward and touching SakuraÆs chest.
**********
He didnÆt feel any better when he came to but at least he was in the school infirmary since he was lying on a bed. But when he opened his eyes, he noticed that he was not in the school infirmary but rather someoneÆs personal bedroom which was filled with some bows and stuffed animals. ôAre you alright, Sempai?ö
ôS-Sakura?ö He turned his head over to see her concerned plum eyes standing over him. She wasnÆt dressed for school and was wearing a casual pink vest over a white top with a beige dress. Before he could speak again, he felt some bile in his throat and managed to prevent himself from puking over the girl.
ôLetÆs get you to the bathroom!ö She quickly helped him out of the bed and led him to a toilet. As soon as he entered the washroom, he bent himself over the toilet water and threw up. Sakura remained by his side, gently patting his back. ôJust let it out, Sempaiàö
After a few minutes of puking, he felt a bit better but his body still needed some rest. He also vaguely noted that he wasnÆt in his school uniform but rather his casual clothing consisting of his blue and white top and a pair of jeans. She must have changed him out of his school uniform when he puked on it or something. ôSorry to bother you like thisàö
ôItÆs ok, Sempai. LetÆs get you back to my room so you can lie down and get some rest.ö She helped him out of the bathroom and slowly led him back to the bedroom.
As he started to relax, he was able to murmur a light æthank youÆ before drifting off. She smiled and placed a gentle kiss on his forehead before exiting the bedroom and closing the door behind her.
She made her way downstairs, intending to go to the mansionÆs basement where her tools and the other household occupants are being kept. When she felt a familiar presence, she paused. ôReport.ö
ôIllyasviel and Tohsaka have escaped with the assistance of Rider. ArcherÆs whereabouts are unknown but it is likely that he survived the battle with True Assassin.ö
Perhaps she should have stayed to ensure that the vessel had been secured but she wanted to get Shirou away from that bitch sister of hers. At least the WarÆs End Date has been extended. Originally, it was to end on February 14 but now the opportunity to create a Holy Grail will run through the rest of this month. It was unusual but then again, the event horizon had just experienced an unusual shockwave of chrono magic, sending ripples through time and space.
RiderÆs intervention was quite a surprise factor but if thereÆs one thing she knows about her first Servant, itÆs that sheÆs a very resourceful combatant who can compensate for her low power. She would need to repeat the rebirth process for her just as she did for Saber and Berserker. What type of Master would she be if she neglected that simple duty?
ôWell, weÆll have to draw them out another way. IÆll think of it later. In the meantime, you can guard my guest upstairs for me while Ià speak with my family.ö
ôThey are still alive?ö asked the voice in a puzzled tone. The being could not understand why the Master kept her family alive after everything they have done to her.
Just as the thought passed, red markings appeared on the left side of SakuraÆs exposed face and hand. Her plum eyes and hair were replaced with white hair and red eyes. ôThey are AngraÆs reward to me. I shall kill them a hundred times a day.ö
She resumed her trek to the basement, humming the melody to the first InuYasha opening song under her breath.
END PROLOGUE
Post-chapter notes: Well, here I am with another project on my plate. Commitment level is a bit iffy but I will do my best. After all, I havenÆt given up on my threads at the Anime Addventure. Comments would be appreciated!