Nasuverse The Akashic Record, and the Root of the World8

[Tbora]

I am considering writing a FSN fic where the Holy Grail is just as advertised, that is, no Angra Maiyu corruption. My idea is that when Kiritsugu has Saber excaliblast the grail, it purges it, and when the fifth grail war comes around everything is working as its supposed too.

The fic would start at the end of the Fate Route, and Shirou and Saber are given there chance to make their desires reality. Shirou after some thought wishes for a connection with the Root of the World (himself seeing it as fulfilling the purpose the Heaven's Feel ritual was put together in the first place.). How might a connection with the Root change him, and manifest itself?

Thus far I am considering maybe having it distort his origin once more (removing his reality marble), slowly changing his perception of the world, as his added perspective to what makes up reality is increased. In terms of what it would actually do to him, I am thinking of taking a page from the Dresden Files, and making the collection grant him a pseudo-form of Intellectus, a limited omniscience. Alternatively it might be something like the Gate of Truth from FMA, though again I am not really sure.

Thoughts, suggestions?

Oh and I am not sure what Saber would wish for, as by the end what she wants may have changed.. or not. The majority of this fic would follow the fallout of his wish, as he deals with his own progression, and his dealings with the internal politics of the Clock Tower, and the like.

 

[Cherry_lover]

I am considering writing a FSN fic where the Holy Grail is just as advertised, that is, no Angra Maiyu corruption. My idea is that when Kiritsugu has Saber excaliblast the grail, it purges it, and when the fifth grail war comes around everything is working as its supposed too.

The fic would start at the end of the Fate Route, and Shirou and Saber are given there chance to make their desires reality. Shirou after some thought wishes for a connection with the Root of the World (himself seeing it as fulfilling the purpose the Heaven's Feel ritual was put together in the first place.). How might a connection with the Root change him, and manifest itself?

Thus far I am considering maybe having it distort his origin once more (removing his reality marble), slowly changing his perception of the world, as his added perspective to what makes up reality is increased. In terms of what it would actually do to him, I am thinking of taking a page from the Dresden Files, and making the collection grant him a pseudo-form of Intellectus, a limited omniscience. Alternatively it might be something like the Gate of Truth from FMA, though again I am not really sure.

Thoughts, suggestions?

Oh and I am not sure what Saber would wish for, as by the end what she wants may have changed.. or not. The majority of this fic would follow the fallout of his wish, as he deals with his own progression, and his dealings with the internal politics of the Clock Tower, and the like.

If the Grail were fixed, then the whole story would change. For one thing, Zouken would have no Grail shards to implant into Sakura, secondly Gil shouldn't be around and thirdly, Shirou's family shouldn't die in the first place.

Also, if Shirou got a wish, I can't see any reason why he'd want to fulfill the original goal of the Wars (Shirou doesn't even know the original goal), and even if he did it's stated that people who reach Akasha don't usually come back. And, even if he did, he'd probably be so powerful afterwards that the story would be nothing more than him curb-stomping his enemies (first target: Zouken) and saving everyone (particularly Sakura and Ilya).

 

[Deathwings]

Mike, reread the OP again. particularly the reason WHY the 5th Grail isn't corrupted.

 

[Tbora]

Here is my thoughts on the Root of the World. It is the source of all creation, as close to a god that exists. However it is so profound, that to look upon its whole, it would drive your sanity from you in an instant, your mind literally not capable of handling the truth. So Akasha is limited in the way it expresses itself to Shirou, as to not make him insane. To me Akasha is not a place to visit, or a thing, but a concept so utterly foreign we have no way to conceive it for what it is.

For him, I am thinking it would give him a transcendental understanding of magecraft, True Magic, and reality in general. He would virtually have all there is to know about the world at his finger tips... well sort of. His ability to access the Source of Knowledge is again limited by his perspective. He only gets as much access as his sanity can handle, though this increases overtime as his mind slowly changes to adapt to the connection.

If he were to consider say how the Third Magic works, he would understand the mechanics behind it instantaneoulys, and to such a degree and in depth that your average magus could never achieve. But knowledge only goes so far. Its potent, but he does not have the resources, or the prana reserves, or magic circuits to put it to its fullest potential (IE curb stomp everyone.)

His achieving the goals of every magi ever, well that puts him in the spot light of every major supernatural power you care to name. He would be drawn into the Clocktower, and he does what he has to do in order to move around the gambits the various Lords are trying to draw him into, dodging getting a Sealing Designation, etc. Depending on whether or not Saber sticks around, could alter the plot somewhat, to what degree I don't know yet.

Genre wise this would be something of a Coming-of-age/psychological thriller/adventure fic, with some action but not to a degree its the focus of the story.

Yeah...

 

[Deathwings]

Way you describe the connection between Akasha and Shirou in that idea, I don't think he would lose UBW. More like...UBW would expand itself from only "Sword" to "Everything" instead.

 

[Tbora]

That is another possibility, though I am not sure how UBW would manifest itelf with the concept of "everything". I am now picturing him as something like Dr.Manhatten from Watchman, but that would be so broken its not even funny.

Perhaps an Origin of "Creation", where he can manifest his thoughts into reality, so long as he truly /believes/ in it. (This belief is important, if his will were to be undermined or falter, his tracings would crumble as well. Of course such would inevitability be prana intensive, and no doubt take a lot of expermination to work out. It would add a nice boost and plot thread too, as he considers himself and his new origin....

 

[daniel_gudman]

Would Kotomine have figured out that Angra Mainyu was purged from the Grail?

Also, I'm pretty sure Gil emerged from the Grail after the Excaliblasting.

Wouldn't Kotomine figure it out somewhere near the end of Fate route when he goes to start it up and he's like, "oh, it's empty". Assuming he didn't figure it out while watching it happen.

I'm pretty sure this would be a story about Kotomine, more than Shirou, based on those points.

...would Kiritsugu still have the Terminal Illness Curse? Or could he be floating around as a mentor figure for Shirou during the War? Also to have an emotional, erm, reunion with Ilya.

Maybe...

I think a good way to spin the backstory is, the prologue would start with Saber feeling all betrayed when Kiritsugu orders her to Excalablast the Grail. She faces down the Master she hates the none-the-less obtained the goal. "Why!?" She screams.

But then the Dark Mud spills out, engulfs Gilgamesh, and spreads out and starts burning down Fukyuki city.

"Oh." Saber mutters to herself. "That's why."

So she goes ahead and blasts the Grail, and her unreserved use of Excaliber--Crystallized Hope of Humanity--creates a pair-negation event with All Human Evil.

But the neighborhood's still fucked and a shell-shocked Kiritsugu still finds a single survivor in the rubble.

Then chapter one cuts to like 10 years later and the 5th Grail War starts and we play "Spot the Difference" as the story goes along.

Also...

Anyway, Shirou never intended to use the Grail to begin with, and I don't think that would change if he found out the Grail was untainted. So, at the time of obtaining the Grail, he doesn't have any wish to make on it.

But his ally Rin wants to use the Grail for the "correct" reason: to obtain True Magic. She would probably urge him to use the Grail in the "correct" way, to create a Miracle. And since Saber was the seventh and final Servant, she would have dissipated from the world--meaning all seven Servants were gone.

Anyway, the Grail was created to recover the Third Magic. Rather than saying his origin would be expanded to "Everything", I think it would be expanded to "Swords and Souls". I'm not sure what Tracing a Soul would do though; off-hand I guess it could prepare a perfect vessel for a Soul to materialize into, superior even to those puppets.

Also I wonder how the Einzbern would feel about Emiya Shirou completing the task they thought Emiya Kiritsugu betrayed. I mean, would he be welcomed into the family with open arms as they sheepishly forgive Kiritsugu? I mean, regardless of what they think happened, what would they say for the sake of adopting Shirou and adding him--and his Magic--to the Einzbern.

...did I just identity an Ilya route...?

Anyway Shirou would definitely be Designated a Philosopher.

 

[ttestagr]

Gil was enveloped in the mud after the Grail was destroyed. It doesn't matter. The taint couldn't change his mind anyway, and a pure grail would give him a body if it spilled on him as well.

 

[Hymn of Ragnarok]

Gil was enveloped in the mud after the Grail was destroyed. It doesn't matter. The taint couldn't change his mind anyway, and a pure grail would give him a body if it spilled on him as well.

Last I checked, while Gil didn't look corrupted, he was a good deal hammier. I'm of the opinion that it couldn't take over his mind, but it influences his subconscious.

Gil says it can't touch him, but he's hardly an unbiased opinion.

 

[shioran toushin]

didn't the curse made him a little more genocidal? :huh.:

 

[Tbora]

@daniel - you are a genius who just sparked my creativity to new heights with this plot bunny. Things from your own thoughts which I am going to shamelessly steal...

1.) A pair-negation event via Excalibur, to plausibly counter the curse of the grail and its taint.

2.) Rin's motivation to get him to make a "correct" wish, to make contact with Akasha. This gives me a reason to urge him on to make this wish, that is not too out of canon (what with Shirou's aim to please personality and Rin's pushiness.)

3.) Kiritsugu still alive, though the fourth war still injured him to put him mostly into retirement. That makes it so he can still be around, but not sniping the enemy masters in order to protect Shirou like he would if given the opportunity.

4.) I would still hold that a connection with Akasha is more linked towards Creation as a concept (being the first Origin from which everything else came from.). This is easily linked with the Third Magic, as again the manifestation of the Soul and Creation (this is the key term) of the way to allow it was makes it possible. Also opens up the possibilities of cool things I could do with Shirou's magecraft.

5.) Given where I am going with the Clocktower politics plotline, I can easily see the Einzbern claiming (or atleast trying to any rate.) as there own. It would be fun to mess with Old Man Acht as a character I think. He seems sorta badass.

6.) Your right I can see him being designated as a Philospher for this accomplishment, though again I can also see the Enforcers being held back by various forces within the Clocktower (namely Einzbern, Tohsaka and possibly Zelretch (as a friend of the Tohsaka's and a master of True Magic himself.).


7.) Would Shirou be classified as a Magician of the Third Magic (what with his new skills granted by his Origin of Creation.), Or would the Clocktower's members seek to deny him the title to keep him from gaining any legitmance which may threaten there own positions?

 

[ttestagr]

Gil was enveloped in the mud after the Grail was destroyed.? It doesn't matter.? The taint couldn't change his mind anyway, and a pure grail would give him a body if it spilled on him as well.

Last I checked, while Gil didn't look corrupted, he was a good deal hammier. I'm of the opinion that it couldn't take over his mind, but it influences his subconscious.

Gil says it can't touch him, but he's hardly an unbiased opinion.

We have author confirmation. Gilgamesh cannot be controlled. Period. His mind can't be influenced. Even when eaten by the shadow, Sakura had to digest him as fast as possible because he would have popped out on his own completely normal like some golden chestburster.

 

[Prince Charon]

Mike, reread the OP again. particularly the reason WHY the 5th Grail isn't corrupted.

That would likely still leave Zouken no corrupted shards, or no shards at all, to put into Sakura (which is the part I think Mike cares most about). Mind you, shards with no mud could create an interesting difference.

 

[daniel_gudman]

Even when eaten by the shadow, Sakura had to digest him as fast as possible because he would have popped out on his own completely normal like some golden chestburster.

Awesome one-liners for that scene:

1) "Oh yeah!"

2) "I fight on!"

3) "Mongrels!"

 

[Tbora]

Mike, reread the OP again. particularly the reason WHY the 5th Grail isn't corrupted.

That would likely still leave Zouken no corrupted shards, or no shards at all, to put into Sakura (which is the part I think Mike cares most about). Mind you, shards with no mud could create an interesting difference.

The shards from the previous lesser grail (the ones implanted into Sakura) could still be corrupted from coming into contact with the overflowing Dark Mud, as it was being purged, but the new Lesser (and Greater) Grail of which Ilya is, is perfectly clean and able to serve.

This maintains plot consistency, without ruining the initial premise, though now that I think about it, in the Fate Route modified ending (which this story would start with) Sakura really does not have any importance to it by the end, not being as heavy as in the Heaven's Feel Route.