Decisions

'Take my power and save her, protect her, and end the evil that corrupts this world.'

Mashu gasped to life, taking her first breath. She rose up and the first thing she saw was the last thing she saw, fire. It was everywhere, spreading through the ruins of buildings and streets, lining them like lampposts. However, this was not the new, raging fire that had consumed the Rayshift Chamber in Chaldea. This fire was old. It had been burning for years and saw no end in sight. No longer did it run forth consuming everything in its path. Everything was already consumed, all it did now was wallow in its own mess.

"What is this place?" Mashu whispered. She pushed herself off the ground, surveying the land, only finding destroyed buildings going out as far as the eye could see. This entire city had been reduced to a skeleton of itself. Her heel clicked as Mashu stepped forward. Wait, since when was she wearing heels? And why did she feel the wind on her stomach? "What in the.."

It hit her in a flash. She had been dying. The Rayshifting was starting. Ritsuka was crying in her arms. The Servant appeared and he offered her his powers. She accepted and they...combined. She took his power from him and became a Servant-Human hybrid. A Demi-Servant. This armor was his armor, now her armor changed to fit her body, though, it was a bit more revealing than she would've wanted. His strength was her strength, filling her body with energy she never had before and strength beyond her previous imagination. His shield…

She held up her arm and it came in a flurry of sparks. A black cross, ornate in design with silver flames marking the cleaved ends and jewels embedded into them, pressed over a circular wooden shield with a line of runes carved over the front and twelve circles around the face. The leather grip wrapped her forearm, locked tight. The shield was massive yet Mashu was able to lift it with one arm. She gave it a test swing, crushing a slab of concrete into dust. 'This is the power of a Servant...amazing.'

Mashu was a Servant now, at least partially. If so, then where was her Master?

"HELP!"

There was not a moment of hesitation. Mashu leapt from the spot, soaring into the air and scanning for the source of the cry that pulled at her very soul. That could only mean one thing. 'There!'

Ritsuka ran through the street, clambering over hunks of concrete with Fou in her arms, screaming with tears running down her face. Behind her were two moving skeletons, draped in red cloth and carrying rusted blades, they screeched with glee as they chased the little girl. Stepping on a loose stone, Ritsuka tripped and tumbled to the ground. That mistake let the skeletons catch up with her. They raised their swords in the air. Fou cried out as Ritsuka curled around him and screamed.

The lead skeleton was shattered into dust. The second one soon followed, his bones broken and scattered across the street before fading into golden sparks.

Mashu experienced another new emotion. Rage. Like a flooded dam, it filled her up and exploded outwards as she destroyed the monsters as easily as crushing an ant. The rush was exhilarating but disappeared as quickly as it came as Mashu was tackled from behind.

"Ma-chan!" Ritsuka held her in a death grip, pressing her face into the cold armor. "You're okay! I thought you were..were...but you're okay! What happened? Where are we? What were those skeleton things? Ma-chan, I'm scared. What's-"

"Ssh~" Mashu quieted the girl, bringing. She gently stroked the girl's back while she sniffled weakly. Fou purred between them, nuzzling into Mashu's chest as well. The cross-shield covered them, giving them their own space away from the hellscape of the city. They were safe. Everything was okay, in those few moments.

"It's okay. I don't know where we are, but I'll protect you, so don't be scared, Master." Mashu said. The red Command Seals of Chaldea on Ritsuka's hand glowed in the firelight, linking her and Mashu together for the foreseeable future.

It took a few minutes for Ritsuka to calm down. Mashu picked her up in one arm, easy now that she had the strength of a Servant. Fou nestled in the little girl's arms. "Master, we need to find somewhere safe to hide for now and try to contact Chaldea. Hold onto me tight, okay?" Ritsuka nodded and tightened her grip on Mashu's arm before she leapt into the air in search of sanctuary.

It was a while before Mashu found the sanctuary she was hoping for as she found something of even greater importance along the way. Another survivor.

"I can't believe this! Years of work and preparing and it all goes under in seconds, and now all we have to show for it is some child!" Unfortunately, their fellow survivor was not a happy camper. Director Olga-Marie Animusphere hadn't stopped complaining since they met her, grouching all the way to the semi-stable parking garage that stood over a Leyline and acted as their base camp for now. Meanwhile, after a few battles with more skeletons, Ritsuka had nodded off, sleeping in Mashu's lap with Fou as a teddy bear once more.

"Director, if you could be a little quieter. Master is trying to sleep." Olga-Marie rounded to yell at Mashu, only to be cowed by a glare so sharp, she'd almost mistaken her for a Saber-class Servant. "Thank you." Anger faded from her face, replaced by a serene gentleness as she stroked the little Master's head and hummed.

Olga-Marie sighed. "Sorry, this is just...hard to take in. All the work I've put in towards Chaldea...all the work my father did...ruined. The Masters, our technicians, Leff...Mashu, are you sure that Chaldeas had turned red before you left?"

"Yes, ma'am. The entire thing was glowing red like a miniature sun and the computer said something about humanity's survival not being detected 100 years into the future." The veins in Olga-Marie's head looked ready to pop. "After that, she came in and then we were sent here, Singularity F."

Olga took a deep breath and continued, "Before, that you said that you saw someone, a Servant, the one that fused with you?"

"Yes. I couldn't get a good look at him, there was a lot of smoke and I was dying. The Rayshift was beginning when he appeared out of nowhere and offered to help me. Fusing with him seems to be what saved me from death." Mashu explained.

"And you became the sixth experiment of Chaldea, the Demi-Servant. Of all the times for it to finally succeed when all others are failing. Did the Servant say anything to you before you fused completely? Can you still hear him in your mind?"

"No, he only gave me his combat abilities and disappeared. As for what he said, he just told me to protect her." They both looked at the sleeping child, Olga grimacing slightly.

"A child. Perfect. Our only hope of getting out of here and fixing this mess, taking a nap like a toddler."

"She's done well so far." Mashu snapped back quickly. Ritsuka had done better than any child would in these situations. She had cried a single tear ever since Mashu saved her and showed no fear in the ace of the skeletons the seemed to populate this city. She wasn't giving orders or anything else to be expected of a Master, but she didn't need to. Mashu was performing well without them. "All that fighting probably drained her energy."

Olga scoffed. Out of nowhere, a blue phantom came to life in the middle of the room, a phantom that looked a lot like a certain happy-go-lucky doctor, though he was looking much less happy than usual.

"Roman," Olga stepped in front of the image, "what is the status of the facility?"

Roman had been able to establish a connection to the stranded Chaldeans a few hours ago, speaking from the damaged Control Room. He had been more than a little surprised to find out Mashu had become a Demi-Servant and even more so when he found out who her Master was. He couldn't help but feel a little responsible for the situation and it showed from the dark circles under his eyes.

"Most of the systems are coming back online. I had to restart the generator and redirect power from non-essential systems, so it's a bit chilly on this end, but the fire is out and Shiva seems to have stabilized. I have a few of the surviving staff scavenging through the wreckage, while more are working on bringing the rest of our systems back online. So far, SHIVA and FATE are all we have."

"Are there any signs of survivors?" There was a pause before Roman shook his head solemnly. Olga's lips tightened and Mashu pulled Ritsuka a little closer.

"All technicians in the control room were killed by the fire almost instantly. Many of the Masters were as well, though a few survived for a while until the smoke inhalation killed them inside of the Coffins. The seals were broken in the explosion. Including myself and you three, only 34 members of Chaldea survived."

"Is there any sign of Professor Lynor?" Roman shook his head again and Olga let out a somewhat pained sigh. She took a moment to collect herself before returning to her usual authoritarian persona.

"Focus on repairing the Rayshift. That is your number one priority. We will continue to investigate this city, Singularity F, until then."

"Director, are you sure that's a good idea? You don't do well in scary situations like that."

"You're talking a bit too much, Roman. Don't let that temporary power go to your head." Olga scolded the doctor, giving him a sense of relief. Old routines always healed new wounds, at least a little bit. "Our only objective is to investigate the source of the Singularity. Mashu and the child aren't fit for anything else with no prior training. We'll only take on minimal threats. After all this is done, we'll send in a second team to eliminate the source of the aberration."

Mashu decided she should speak up now. "Director, is that a good idea? Even if I can defeat the skeletons in this Singularity, isn't it best if we stay and wait until the Rayshift is fixed?"

"We can't do that! Even when we get out of here, it'll take months to get everything repaired and to assemble a new team to eliminate the Singularity. By then, the Association will have deemed this a failure and shut it down. I will not allow that to happen!"

"But what about Miss Ritsuka?" Olga stepped back, surprised that Mashu would talk back to her. "This situation is much too dangerous for her to be in, even if I am with her. It's better for her if we stay safe and go back when the Rayshift is fixed."

"This isn't about her! This is about the future of humanity! She may be a child, but she is the only thing keeping this from being a complete catastrophe."

"I am not going to endanger her more! That Servant gave me these powers to protect her!" Mashu forced herself to stay on the ground but glared a hole through Olga-Marie. "She already lost her father, I'm not letting her get hurt anymore!"

There was nothing to that. Roman looked at the two women frantically, scared by this unfamiliar situation. 'Why is Mashu acting like this? She's never talked back to anyone in her life! She cares about Ritsuka that much?' It was a dumb question for Roman to ask. He felt the exact same way.

"When do we tell her about her father?"

The question hung in the air, weighing it down with bone-crushing tension. All eyes were on the sleeping girl. Though she slept so soundly, so much weight rested on her shoulders, more weight than a child should bear.

"We don't." The Director's answer was simple and clean. "If we tell her, then the likelihood of us surviving until the Rayshift is fixed will drop even lower than it is now. She is your Master, Mashu, meaning you two are linked, and if she is upset over her father, then you'll be in no condition to protect anyone."

Mashu clenched her teeth. The idea sickened her to her core, a complete betrayal of trust between her and her Master, but it made sense. She already felt their shared fatigue fading as Ritsuka slept. If Ritsuka were to be depressed or distraught over her father….

"I will tell her about her father when we get back to Chaldea. As Director, I have full responsibility for whatever happens to my subordinates. Should anything severe happen I am also responsible for informing their next of kin."

"Olga, are you sure?"

Olga nodded and thusly, the decision was made. Roman and Mashu had their own reservations about this plan, but no other choice but to agree. It was the best option available, even if it did end terribly.

Alright then," Roman sighed, "I have to go now. SHIVA isn't fully repaired and there are still a few injured people around. I'll try and keep up with you and give you updates when I can. Good luck." The hologram disappeared, leaving the three girls alone in the half-lit parking garage.

"Now that is settled, we need to wake up the girl."

"Why?" Mashu asked defensively.

Olga sighed, "Because Mashu, like it or not, we need to move. Those monsters will track us down as they've been doing and they'll likely be in bigger, stronger groups that you can't fight against."

"If we move, they'll keep coming after us."

"And that is why I want her up. The FATE system is still working, meaning we can try and have her summon more Servants to help us hide."

"You just want to keep exploring the city for something you can use," Mashu said distastefully.

"Of course I do! But I can't go anywhere without you! I know you want to protect the girl, Mashu, and the only way to do that is to move. Besides, we need to bring something back for her sake as much as mine. If the Association takes Chaldea from me, do you really think they'll care as much about some girl from a no-name Magus family?" They all knew the answer to that. Magus were cold people by nature of their lifestyle. "She is a part of this now, whether we like it or not."

A moment of silence passed through the room as the two women locked eyes. The distant sound of crackling fire permeated the air along with the smoky coverage. Hours had passed, but the sky was dark as night, filled with black clouds lit red by the fire below.

"Master," Mashu whispered into the girl's ear, "it's time to wake up." As easily as flipping a switch, Ritsuka opened her eyes, yawning as she woke up in Mashu's lap. Fou mimicked his new friend, letting out a soft mew.

"Ma-chan? Miss Olga? What's going on?" Mashu stood up, taking the girl with her, carrying her like a toddler. Fou bounced out of her arm and onto Mashu's shoulder for safekeeping. "Are we going somewhere?"

"Not quite yet. We need to do something first. Mashu, summon your shield and place it on the ground like before. I'll set up a summoning circle." Mashu did as she was told, placing her shield in the center of the room. Olga-Marie took out a brush and a well of ink from her jacket and got to work.

"Ma-chan, what is she doing?"

"She's making a summoning circle so we can summon some more Servants to help us get out of here." Ritsuka looked at her curiously.

"Servants?" She had only heard that word in passing from her father before he had taken the job to come here, whenever he was talking on the phone with the person who got it for him.

"Oh, well, a Servant is a spirit that can be summoned from the Throne of Heroes. They're usually famous warriors and figures from history, capable of things not even modern Magus would dream of doing. With the summoning circle, you can summon them from the Throne to help us." Ritsuka's mouth formed an 'o', trying to process all that information.

"So..they're like you?"

"Um, sort of. I'm a Demi-Servant since I'm still alive. I'm not as powerful as they'll probably be because they can use their Noble Phantasms; a special skill or attack they have that goes along with their legend. They also have proper classes; Archer, Saber, Lancer, Caster, Rider, Assassin, and Berserker, while my Shielder-class is an anomaly. That means strange." Mashu added, seeing the question forming in her eyes.

"Done." In no time flat, the entire summoning circle was finished, a four-pointed star inside of a circle with the points going the opposite ways of the shield. "Fujimaru, come here."

Mashu slowly put the girl down, keeping an eye on her as she walked over the Olga-Marie. The two knelt down in front of the shield as the circle began to glow alongside Ritsuka's Command Seals.

"Alright, Fujimaru, I'm going to explain this as simple as possible and I need you to keep up, got it?"

"Yes, ma'am!"

"Good. Now, this is very simple for you to do. All you have to do is add a little bit of your own mana to the circle. The FATE system should take care of the rest. As long as you have Chaldean Command Seals, you'll be connected to the system. That will open up the bank of Saint Quartz we have gathered."

"What's that?"

"Don't interrupt me." Olga snapped. "I asked you to listen, not speak. Though, to answer your question, a Saint Quartz is a crystallized form of mana. A rock made of mana, to put it simply, that we use to fuel the summoning. We currently only have 60 of them gathered and we'll need half of that for our summoning as we will be doing a Mass Summoning. That will hopefully draw out a Servant or two for us if we're lucky. Otherwise, we'll only get Crafting Essence. Those are little things that make Servants stronger." Olga cut off the question before it could be asked. She was honestly surprised there weren't more. Seemed this girl was smarter than she had hoped.

Mashu was also impressed by Olga-Marie. She was still sharp-tongued as usual, but there was a certain gentleness to her scolding, like a teacher to their student.

"Are you ready?" Ritsuka gave her a thumbs-up, making Olga smile. "Then get to it."

With that, Ritsuka turned her attention to the circle. She closed her eyes and focused on her hands, drawing mana to her palms. She clapped her hands together as if to pray. Magecraft was a miracle, that's what her father always taught her. It made people greater than human, made them Magus and allowed them to perform miracles. Before these miracles, you must give thanks to the Earth and the Gods for blessing you with this gift.

'And so I pray.'

The summoning circle burst to life with a touch of Ritsuka's hand. A ball of sparking mana formed over the center with rings spinning around it. The ball grew larger and the ring shot away, splitting into three. A flash of rainbow light passed over before the ball exploded into a pillar of light that filled the room, forcing them to look away.

As the light faded, a figure covered in glimmering gold light stepped forward. It was a girl, beautiful and dainty as a flower, draped in a cream-colored dress with black accents, adding to her beauty. She embodied the ideals of a princess. Golden blonde hair, perfect pearl skin, emerald eyes. Even the armor she wore did not mar her image, only adding to her beauty. In her hand, she held a sword that matched her in beauty, glowing with a divine golden halo.

She looked around the room for a moment before seeing Olga. She curtsied perfectly and spoke softly, "Pleased to meet you, Master. I'm still a novice with the sword, so you can call me Saber Lily. I look forward to adventuring with you for many years to come."

Olga blushed nervously, looking at Mashu and Ritsuka for help. Luckily, Ritsuka came to the Director's aid, tugging on the so-called Saber Lily's skirt, catching her attention.

"Excuse me, Miss Lily, Miss Director isn't your Master." Ritsuka showed her the Command Seals. "I'm your Master. My name is Fujimaru Ritsuka, nice to meet you."

Lily blinked. She blinked again. She looked at Mashu and Olga, trying to determine if this was a joke. They both looked dead serious. She looked over her knowledge from the Throne and found that she was indeed connected to this little girl. The little girl was her Master.

"Master!" Lily bowed down before the girl, prostrating on the floor, "I'm so sorry for not recognizing you! Please forgive me for my foolishness."

"It's okay, Miss Lily. Everyone makes mistakes." Lily looked up, blushing as her Master patted her on the head. The Saber regained her composure and stood, towering over her little Master. She pulled her sword from its sheath and bowed.

"Thank you for forgiving me, Master. I promise that I will do my best not to fail you from here on, and please, call me Artoria. I am not worthy of a title."

"Mmmm, okay, Lily! It's nice to meet you!" Ritsuka ran into Lily and hugged her around the waist, making the young Saber blush more before returning the sign of affection. Mashu hid a giggle behind her hand while Olga smirked.

"Alright, alright, that's enough for now," Olga said, "we need to get through the rest of the summonings. We can do proper introductions later. Ritsuka, get to it." The little girl saluted and went back to the circle while Lily moved to stand by Mashu.

Mashu leaned over and whispered, "Welcome to the group, Miss Artoria."

"Thank you." Lily's eyes didn't leave Ritsuka as she crouched by the circle. "When I was summoned, I knew things would be unusual, but not this unusual. I didn't expect my Master to be so.."

"Cute?" Mashu supplied, to which Lily agreed to wholeheartedly. "None of us were expecting this, but we're all doing our best to deal with it. Don't let her age trick you. Master is very brave and very strong. Stronger than anyone I've ever met."

Fyr3Flyt3: I would like to preface this Author's Note with thanks to the 500 plus people who have read this story and the nine people who review the first chapter. It's great to see a new story get so much support already which fueled me to go ahead and make the second chapter before the week was out The next one probably won't be out for another two weeks because of other projects.

Speaking of reviews, I'm going to go ahead and say this. Rin and Shirou will NOT be Ritsuka's parents. I don't care what fan theories or headcanons there are about it, I have no plans of changing something I already established to fit into them. I don't have a problem with the idea. It's cute and fun to see in art, however, it's not what I want to do. having Rin/Ishtar and Emiya/Archer as her parents immediately brings them to the forefront of the story, head-and-shoulders above the rest of the Servants. I don't want that. I want each of the Servants to have relationships with her that aren't immediately overshadowed by two others. Certain people will be more important to her and the story as people are in anyone's life, but I want that to be determined naturally. Sorry to disappoint anyone, but that won't be changing. Archer and Ishtar will interact with her, but not as her parents officially.