บท 61: 61. Something Ends, Something Begins
(A/N: I've gone back and change the time when Godrick shattered the Prototype of Excalibur. A couple comments pointed out (and me doing my own research as well) that Gilgamesh wouldn't have Excalibur as it's a divine construct. I had written that it was a "Prototype" but the more I thought about it, the more it just didn't sit right with me. I wanted the sword that Godrick severed from his GoB to have significance to both characters, and thought that Excalibur was the perfect option, while ignoring that i had two other perfect options. Those being Caliburn, and Clarent. That being the case, i've gone back and changed it!
Also I was trying to do research to see if Shirou knew that Illya was a homunculus or not. I couldn't find a definite answer, so I will assume he didn't.
Thank you for understanding, I appreciate each and every single one of you!)
===Godrick===
It was over. Once again, Godrick stood victorious over his enemies.
He took a deep breath before releasing it, the steam hot in comparison to the cold air.
The weapons in his back that had broken through his tough armor and skin began to fade into golden particles.
All except one.
He hadn't noticed it yet, but he now felt a shooting pain from his back. A long-sword of silver and red stood from his back, just to the left of his right shoulder blade.
It was Clarent, the sword that belonged to his sister. The sword that had killed him.
"Godrick?"
The Juggernaut was pulled from his thoughts as Jeanne approached him.
"Jeanne…" He said, his deep voice making her stop just before him.
"Your voice… How?" She asked.
He summoned the sword Caliburn, and gripped its blade just above the cross guard before looking down at the sword.
"Caliburn." He answered.
"Much like your own sword. It is a crystallization of my death. And much like your own, once I use it, I will disappear from the mortal plain, and return to the Throne of Heroes. It unlocks my true power, but it sets a time limit for me." He answered.
"Just before my death, I drank water from Dozmary pool, which healed my body for a short time, giving me my voice back. But it is fleeting. Already I can feel the pull from the Throne of Heroes, beckoning me to return. I'm not sure how much time I have left."
Jeanne made no reply as she thought of their predicament before motioning him to kneel so she could pull the sword from his back.
He did so, and she pulled Clarent from him before giving it to him.
"Thank you, my Lady." He said, accepting the sword.
He had switched Caliburn to his right hand as he gripped Clarent in his left.
"This is the sword that killed me, Clarent." He said, looking the blade over.
Jeannes breath seemed to hitch in her throat as she gazed at the blade as well before she looked back up to Godricks face.
"This blade only belongs to one person. It shouldn't be in the hands of anyone else." The Juggernaut said before the veins in his left arm started to glow a deep amethyst before Godrick gripped the blade with all his strength.
'SEVER' He commanded.
To his surprise, the blade didn't turn dull and break like Caliburn did, but stayed the same.
He gripped the blade with all his strength, trying to break it, but it wouldn't comply, leaving him frustrated.
"Why. Won't. You. Break?" He asked through gritted teeth, still trying to break the blade.
With a deep exhale he finally gave up, and looked down at the blade which started to fade into golden particles, almost seeming to mock the Juggernaut as it disappeared.
"I… I don't understand." Godrick said, watching the blade go.
Jeanne stayed silent for a moment before reaching out and gripping his right forearm with both her hands.
"Perhaps it didn't work…" She said before pausing.
"BECAUSE it's the blade that killed you. For all your strength, that blade was the one thing that took you down in life. And it can do so now as well." She said in a hushed voice.
Godrick made no reply as he thought on her words, and reflected on what had happened.
Was Clarent really the only thing he couldn't overcome? Was the sword the one thing he couldn't adapt to?
This thought troubled him deeply, as he wasn't fond of the idea of someone like Gilgamesh possessing something like that over him.
Shaking his head of the thoughts, Godricks focus returned to Jeanne, and his remaining time on the plain of mortals.
"Come." He said, holding his hand out, which Jeanne took, walking with him as he walked from the crater to meet his mother, who stood at the edge, having come back with Jeanne after things had calmed down.
"Godrick-" Artoria said, embracing him. Her head only came up to his lower stomach, but he still reached down and wrapped his arms around her.
"Mother…" He responded.
"Your voice." She said, pulling away from him and reaching up to stroke his cheek.
"It feels like a lifetime since I've heard it." She said, tearing up slightly.
"It feels good to be able to speak again, though I'm not sure how much longer it will last." He said somberly.
"Well, we will just have to make the most of it." Jeanne spoke, drawing the two's attention to her, before the trio turned around and watched the approaching masters.
Illya was walking next to Rin, who was supporting Shioru who was bleeding, and limping slightly.
"Well," Godrick said, his deep voice rich in the sprinkling rain.
"It seems you won Rin. Congratulations."
She smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes as she looked around her at the destruction of the War.
"I always dreamed of this moment but now that I'm here, I don't know what to do." She answered.
"It's quite simple." Godrick retorted.
"The Grail will appear to you, and you will make your wish."
Rin gave a defeated sigh as she looked at Shirou.
"I thought I knew what I wanted, but I see that I have everything I need right here." She said pulling Shirou in a bit closer.
He seemed to know what she meant, and his face seemed to redden. Godrick noticed his mother tense up a bit beside him as she watched the two.
"Well, that simplifies things then." Godrick said, motioning towards Illya.
"Use your wish to help someone, who is desperately in need of it."
His words shocked the pair, who quickly looked at Illya who seemed to recoil from the attention.
"Illya, what's he talking about?" Shirou asked in a concerned voice.
"I- I- I have no idea what you mean!" She said flustered at Godrick's words.
"Do you mean her eye? I'm sure it could be repaired with mage craft." Rin said.
"No, that's not what he means." Jeanne chimed in, now taking over the conversation.
She calmly walked over to Illya and knelt down next to the girl before whispering something in her ear.
She then leaned back and looked the girl in the eye before Illya let out a breath she didn't know she was holding.
"Ok." She said.
As Jeanne stood up and walked back to Godrick and Artoria, Illya began to speak.
"I haven't been completely honest with you both." She said, wringing her hands as if she was nervous.
"Shirou… you were adopted by my father, which you already knew. But what you don't know is that my mother was a homunculus… And so am I." She said, dropping the bombshell.
"What do you mean?" Shirou asked, not understanding what she meant.
"You big dummy!" Rin shouted, slapping Shirou across the back of his head.
She regained her serious demeanor before explaining to Shirou.
"It means she's an artificial human."
Shirou still looked confused, so Rin continued.
"Homunculi are artificial humans who are discarded after their purpose is fulfilled. So while they are given great amounts of magical circuits, it usually comes at a steep price." She finished.
"OK, so what price is that?" Shirou asked, rubbing the back of his head.
"Life force." Illya said simply.
Shirou still had a confused look on his face, while Rins took on a somber one.
"Shirou I-... I'm dying. The amount of circuits I have in my body are slowly sucking the life from me. I won't live more than a year after being connected to Berserker. The toll it took on my body cut my already short lifespan shorter." She said, choking up at the end.
Shirou was lost for words as he looked at his sister, and all that came to his mind were ways to help her.
"We… We can figure something out. There has to be a way!" He said, looking at Rin.
"The wish!" She said, looking back to Illya. "We can wish to make you human."
Illya stood in complete shock before bursting into tears, and was quickly wrapped in a hug by Shioru and Rin, who both sighed in relief at having found a solution.
Jeanne squeezed Godricks right hand and shared an intimate moment together as he leaned down and kissed her head gently.
"What next for us?" She asked.
With his lips resting on the top of her head, he gently shook his head.
"I'm not sure. But whatever it is, we'll face it." He answered.
"Together." She said, looking back up at him, and drawing him into a gentle kiss.
Artoria looked at the two, and was happy for them. Though, she couldn't help but feel a twinge of loneliness as she looked back at Shirou, who was hugging Rin and Illya.
"It's time." Godrick's deep voice broke the mood, and took everyone from what they were doing.
He let go of Jeannes hand and grabbed his mother by the shoulders and looked down into her eyes.
"I don't know what it will take. But I promise, I'll bring our family back together. And we will fix what has been broken." He told her.
"Godrick, I-... I don't know if I can." She confided her apprehension to him.
"What do you mean? You are Artoria Pendragon, Ruler of England, and the King of Knights!" He shouted to the sky, shaking his fist as he stated her titles.
"Please." He said, beginning to fade into blue particles.
"At least help me try." He asked as he stepped back before taking Jeannes hand.
The two bowed their heads, and faded from sight, Going back to the Throne of Heroes.
Artoria was left to her thoughts before looking at the place her son had stood, and whispered.
"One chance Godrick. I'll give you one chance."
===Shirou - Three years after the end of the Holy Grail War===
"Shit, shit, shit!" Shirou said as he ran down the hall of the Clock Tower.
He had woken up late, and was now paying for it.
'That's what I get for staying up all night making projections!' He thought to himself as he made his way to his class.
Bursting through the doors of his classroom, he stopped where he stood as everyone turned and looked at him. He stood at the top of the lecture hall as he slowly adjusted his shirt before making his way to his seat.
"Late again, as usual." His instructor said, marking a piece of paper.
"I'm sorry, it won't happen again." Shirou said, taking his seat.
The Professor hummed in dissatisfaction before turning back and continuing his instructions to the rest of the mage apprentices.
===
After the lesson, Shirou walked to his group spot where he would meet his friends.
After a while his sister Illya sat down next to him.
"Late again?" She asked, unsurprised.
"Yeah, Professor Byrnas wasn't happy with me." He replied.
"Well, when you are late as often as you are, you shouldn't be surprised." She retorted.
"I know." He said looking over at her.
She now looked fifteen years old, as the magic Rin had used from the Holy Grail worked, but not exactly to the specifications they had all wanted.
Upon Godrick and Jeannes disappearance, the Grail had manifested to Rin, where she used her wish to make Illya completely human. Rin also tried to age her to make her look her actual age, but had only succeeded in aging her a few years. The good thing was she now aged as normally.
"Shirou!" A new voice called as a woman with long blond hair bounced over to the table he was seated at.
"Oh, Lady Luvia, How are you?" He asked as she took the seat next to his, snuggling up next to him.
"Oh, I'm incredibly well now that I'm with you." She said in her flirtatious manner.
"Is that so?" Shirou asked, feeling a bit flustered.
"Oh, get off of him already Luvia, he doesn't need you clinging onto him all the time." Illya said, leaning over the table to look past Shirou at the blond haired woman.
"My, my, feeling jealous?" Luvia chimed back.
"Wha-, wha-, NO!" Illya said, a small flush coming to her face.
"Oh, struck a nerve did I?" Luvia mocked.
"Knock it off Luvia." Rin said, coming to the table. She sat across the table from Shirou, not meeting his eye.
Things had been awkward between the two ever since they had broken up a few months ago, and they were trying to salvage their friendship as best as they could.
"Oh come on you two, not this again." A fifth voice said in a distorted manner.
A new girl sat at the table after setting her books down on it and continued speaking.
"You guys don't have to be so awkward around each other." She said, signing as she spoke.
"Emi," Luvia said. "You're still signing." She finished.
"I know," Emi said. "It's just a force of habit." She continued.
"You two have had this same conversation like what? A million times?" Illya said towards Emi and Luvia, who both smiled.
"I know, but she keeps doing it, and so I feel like I have to keep reminding her." Luvia responded.
Illya just rolled her eyes before looking at Emi.
The girl had become quick friends with the group, as she too was a new addition to the clock tower when Shirou, Rin, and Illya had arrived.
One of the Lords of the Mage Association had approached the trio about accepting one of his new wards, as she was struggling with things, as he had just restored her hearing, and was struggling to make friends and fit in. Seeing as she was from Fuyuki City, the same as them, he figured he would approach them and ask.
Emi was a beautiful girl that was about five foot three, and always wore a blue and gold cloth around her head as a headband. It looked like it had been torn from something, but everytime the group asked her about it, she said that she could tell them, as it was a secret.
She struggled with her speech, as she had been deaf for all her life. But Mage Craft can do many things, and when she had regained her hearing, Luvia quickly took it upon herself to help the girl with her speech, while Illya helped her with her Mage Craft.
"Hey, how would you guys like to go out for the day?" Shirou asked the group.
"What did you have in mind?" Rin asked, finally looking at Shirou.
"I'm not sure. I just wanna get out of the city for a day or so." He answered.
"I actually wanna go see someone." He said, making his mind up.
"Oh, alright, I think I can skip the rest of the day." Luvia said, looking over to Emi who seemed to be uncertain.
"What's wrong Emi? I'm sure Illya and I can help you with your studies on the way there?" She asked, hoping she was right.
Emi seemed to relax, and signed her thanks.
===
The car ride was about three hours or so, and true to their words, Luvia and Illya had helped Emi, who was stressed out of her mind, with her studies.
Shirou and Rin sat in the front seats, and made no conversation. The two had split on mutual grounds, but neither of them could forget what they had shared.
"So…" Shirou asked Rin, who looked over to him.
"How are your projections coming along?" Rin interrupted him.
"Oh, good, I'm able to form everything Archer was. And I feel like I'm getting closer to his level. How have you been doing?" He asked.
"Good. I can actually sleep now that I don't have you keeping me up the whole night with your projections." She said, a small giggle escaping her mouth.
Shirou just smiled as he thought back to those long nights of hard work, and couldn't help but apologize.
"You know… I'm… I'm sorry about everything."
"I know." Rin said, reaching over and gently squeezing his hand. The two sat like that before they both let go, and continued to look out the windows.
Soon enough, they reached their destination, and all piled out of the car.
"Come on, it's just over here." Shirou said, leading the group past some ruins to a grave in the center of a field.
"Hi saber." Shirou said quietly to himself. "It's been a long time."
"What is this place?" Emi asked.
"The Grave of Arthur Pendragon. The King of Knights." Shirou responded.
"Incredible." Luvia said. "So much history."
Illya walked next to her brother, and gently rubbed his back as he looked down at the grave.
Everyone stayed like that for a long moment before Shirou broke the silence.
"Come on, let's walk around a bit." He said, beginning to walk away from the grave.
Before he took two steps a massive white Magical Circle spread on the ground, enveloping the group.
"What the?" Was all Shirou could get out, before he suddenly found himself staring at a church that was supposed to be ruins.
The sky was still the same cloudy grey it had been, but the air was fresher, and the hair on the back of his neck stood on end.
Something was definitely off.
"Shirou?"
Turning around, Shirou saw someone who he thought he would never see again.
"Saber?"
===
End of Arc 2
===
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Please also be aware that I'll be releasing a reflection of Arc 2. Please feel free to read that as well. I'm not sure what's happening, but I'm having problems updating my novel. Not sure why!
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