On Steel Wings

Disclaimer: I do not own Fate/Stay Night or High School DxD

Chapter 2

Author Notes:

Now, on with the show!
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A fortnight after Arrival
One year before Welsh Dragon's Reincarnation

"That will be five Euros, sir." Shirou spoke pleasantly in Greek as he placed a dish of Moussaka in front of the portly man, his moustache quivering in delight as the smells from recently made dish made the man's mouth water and his stomach rumble in delighted anticipation at the forthcoming consumption of the heavy lunch.

A banknote was promptly thrust into the hidden magus' hands, the perfect amount, and a brief, sincere ( and mumbled) 'thank you!' was thrown at him before the man began to devour his meal with fervour.

Shirou blinked in slight surprise at the man's actions. He knew he was a decent cook, but he still didn't think it should elicit this much of a response.

He shrugged mentally and simply processed the amount through the till of the small restaurant. A quick glimpse at the clock on the wall beside an aging poster of an old film, far too faded to make out anymore, revealed that it was almost time to end his shift.

"I'll take over, kid" a mellow and deep voice spoke from behind him, not phasing the hybrid, having sensed the person coming up behind him, "you go take off for today, you've more than earned it."

"Thank you, Sir" Shirou responded, turning to his employer, a traditional Greek man of middle years, his thick dark hair yet to be flecked with the white of age with a deep olive skin tone and bright blue eyes that showed warmth, seriousness and determination.

He was also built like a brick wall, tall, broad and muscular. Not like those bodybuilding fools, but lean muscle that showed that the man worked, and hard. The flowing movements of his body as he moved across the restaurants floor, with almost a dancer's grace, told Shirou a mountain of stories, one such being that he was no stranger to battle, and had at least served one tour somewhere, and had also been trained in ancient melee weapons. Probably a spear if Shirou wasn't mistaken by the calluses on his palms.

"Off you go, boy" the man rumbled with a slight smirk, "it's never a good idea to keep a lady waiting, never mind two."

Shirou frowned at his employer slightly, as the man chuckled slightly at his own jest, before stalking away to hang up his pristine white apron and set off for his current place of residence, stepping out into the streets of Mikonos.

The burning summer sun beat down like a burning hammer, only to be reflected by the blinding white stone walls and roofs of the many buildings, architecture that was so iconic to the Greek culture, making Shirou begin to sweat almost immediately. The streets were slightly busier than most modern Western countries would be at this time of day, mainly due to the old Greek custom of making lunch their heaviest meal and fondness for dining out, making Shirou have to be a trifle... pushy... in order to get anywhere.

Shirou just used the time taken to return to the small, but plush, unit, to muse on his first thoughts he had upon arriving in this still strange world.

Start Flashback

Shirou was more than a little confused and worried as he cautiously peered out of the alley, looking out onto the busy street.

In the middle of the noon day sun.

Last time he had checked, it was only just midnight in Japan, but now, as the harsh sun beat down on the oddly familiar stark white rooftops of this bustling city, he couldn't help but think he was no longer in Kansas anymore.

Though which of his companions was the little dog in that scenario, he refused to contemplate. Only most foolish, and ignorant, of men compared the female gender, in any way, to dogs.

"Where the Hell are we?" he murmured as he drew back into the alley, leaning against the wall and sliding down, the unreality of their situation setting in.

"You are in the Mediterranean," his bracers spoke, a rumbling purr of contentment and relief accompanying the voice of the spirit within them, "in my world."

"Your world," Shirou repeated softly in shock, his mind reeling with this discovery, "but how did-?"

"I know not," rumbled the tiger, interrupting the sword-made-flesh, "but none the less, I - no, We - are Home."

Shirou looked at the bracers in stunned shock, speechless.

Home. A new world. His world.

Shirou shook himself quickly. Now wasn't the time, nor the place, to contemplate this. Especially with his companions both out of commission.

They needed to move. To find a safe place, so they can work things out.

He heaved himself to his feet again, and slung Rider over his back, piggy-back style, with his princess, Sakura, secured safely in his arms, bridal-style.

He frowned slightly at the fact that Rider had barely reacted to being picked up. Obviously, she was completely out of it if she hadn't been able to awaken from his somewhat rough handling.

His mouth twitched into a smile at the delicate and softly sleeping form of his beloved, looking so innocent. He scowled heavily, cursing himself viciously, as he remembered what had been happening to her right under his nose and not helping her.

That ache would stay with him until his dying day.

He shook himself again. Now was not the time to bring his past failings.

He made his way into the street, acting like he belonged, searching for a small hotel. Quite a few glances and open stares were sent his way, not many people having seen a young man carrying two women before, but they didn't attempt to stop him, or worse report him, thanks to his actions and firm step.

One of the few things the old man had been able, or willing, to teach him was how to hide in plain sight. If you acted like you belonged, like everything you were doing was normal, people were more inclined to ignore you, like you were merely a small fleck of bright colour on a dull wall, seen, noted but easily forgotten.

He made good use of that lesson as he made his way to a hotel he could see a little more than two blocks away with his sharp eyes. According to the large board out front anyway.

He absently noted the language of where he was seemed to be Greek as he listened and watched the crowds as he moved amongst them, his knowledge of the language through Shamshir-e allowing him to understand them.

He was swiftly in the doors of the establishment, the time taken, negligible, and was just as swiftly given a room, with a little help from some basic hypnotism Magecraft.

Strangely, as he opened the door to the basic, but well appointed, room, he seemed to find that it was easier than it should have been to hypnotise that attendant. Like a great weight was no longer pressing on him as he performed his arcane arts.

Something else to think about.

He gently laid both Master and Servant, side by side, on the double bed and then proceeded to sink himself into a nearby armchair and thought.

The last few hours, Hell the last few days, had been hectic for him and his associates/allies/friends/what-have-you. Sakura's abduction, fighting multiple Servants, etc, etc, had tallied up and was leaving him more than a little weary. It had been a small struggle just to dredge up enough prana to hypnotise the attendant at the front desk.

But now he needed to take stock of his situation.

One, he and his companions were in a different world. Something that should have been impossible unless their name was Zelretch. Moreover, if the old tiger was correct, it was his world of origin, something that had shocked him when he had found out years ago, a few months after the old man's death. Though it had explained how he was a True Hybrid of a Divine Spirit, something not seen since the Age of the Gods.

The old man had looked like a stunned mullet when they had found that out. He, himself, wasn't much better at the time.

He shook himself, trying to return himself to the situation at hand, rather than dwelling on the past.

Two, resources, like money, accommodation, food, medical supplies, identification, etc, etc, were a bit sparse on the ground. This could be rectified rather easily by him, money-wise, at least when his body wasn't spinning with exhaustion and his od levels were replenished somewhat. The others would need a bit more time and investigation into the local 'lower' elements of society.

Three, the portal from the Dimensional Gap probably didn't go unnoticed. He could easily feel the amount of power that practically flooded from the portal when the old cat had successfully moved he and his companions to the normal realm. Any Phantasmal species worth their salt could have sensed it and would probably investigate, for reasons both malicious and benevolent. He would keep a close eye out for the possible 'welcoming committee' and try to steer clear of them until his group were better positioned and prepared for whatever reception they may receive.

He frowned slightly. He would have to consult with the tiger in order to get a clear view of the supernatural politics and ways of living in this realm. His old world's rules most probably didn't apply and he had no desire to step on any metaphorical toes. Especially when he was so vulnerable.

Knowledge-wise anyway.

In summary, they were stranded and lost, in a strange place, with little to no resources and the high possibility of someone coming for their heads.

Shirou chuckled grimly as he leaned back into the suddenly comfortable seat.

'Life truly does love throwing me some curveballs,' he thought tiredly, his eyes sliding shut, before drifting off into an uneasy sleep.

He would deal with things later.

End Flashback

He was jolted out of his reminiscing when he realized he was now just outside the door of the trio's new apartment, The solid wooden door almost pressed to his nose.

'I really shouldn't drift in thought,' he thought wryly, before reaching for the keys in his pocket and opening with a call.

"I'm home," he called politely, taking his shoes off on reflex, the manners of what he considered his home country were still deeply ingrained.

He was rewarded for his manners by the soft but clear tones of his loved one.

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"Welcome back," Sakura said softly and demurely as she looked at her paramour, her purple luminous as they drank in his form. Her own form wasn't bad either, with a simple blouse and ankle length skirt combination, coloured white and mauve respectively, hiding her well developed figure from prying eyes.

"Welcome," Rider also answered, her soft voice pleasant yet detached, from the small couch where she reclined, indulging in her passion for books. She no longer wore the blindfold and provocative battle-wear, but was instead adorned with the delicate oval reading glasses, with similar properties to her Breaker Gorgon, that left her gem like eyes exposed, hip hugging and low-cut blue jeans and a simple dark purple blouse that matched her long hair. She was a picture of casual seduction, not trying to but attracting attention anyway. Her inhumanly beautiful features also helped.

Sakura smiled at her lover before returning to kitchen in order to finish up lunch, keeping an a sharp ear out for the other two occupants as they talked.

"How was work?" Rider asked, her voice polite and rehearsed, not really caring about the answer to the question but asking for form's sake in any case.

Sakura heard the creaking groan of chair springs as Shirou reclined in a chair with a small grunt, "About the same as usual," he opined with a slight sigh, "Long, repetitive but fulfilling." A slight chuckle was heard as she swiftly cut up the ingredients for the salad, "the boss knows how to get the most out of me."
"Indeed." The clinical voice of Rider answered.

A slight silence descended, nothing more than a calm before the storm.

"And your day?" Shirou queried, intent and serious. Sakura frowned slightly as she mixed the salad, knowing that Rider had important news in regards to the task Shirou had asked her to perform when they had arrived in this strange world.

Something that had shocked her when she and Rider had been informed when they had woken up a day later after the destruction of the Grail.

Start Flashback

"What?"

A single word spoken flatly, filled with both disbelief and incomprehension, as if questioning the very existence of the cause of the query.

All of it coming from a single throat.

Rider's.

"We're in a different world," insisted Shirou, leaning forward in his hotel seat as he sat across from her and Rider, "tell me you can't feel something is different about the world? Like a great weight has been removed from shoulders? As a spiritual being, you should have sharp enough senses to detect something of that nature."

She watched as a flicker of a frown passed over the usually impassive face of the Servant before returning to its normal blank state. Sakura knew Rider well enough to know that this was her equivalent of grudging admission, not liking the point that was made but admitting it's validity in the depths of her mind.

"I can feel something," she answered slowly, as if the answer was being dragged through clenched teeth, "the local mana is more prevalent and plentiful than even in Fuyuki, something I find difficult to understand due to the lack of leylines I can sense."

"Exactly my point, Rider," Shirou interrupted swiftly, "one of the reasons Fuyuki was chosen to be the location of the Grail War was the sheer strength and power of mana that was already there due to an intersection of leylines. Fuyuki was known to be one the most powerful convergences currently known. The fact that this bustling city has a stronger presence, without the benefit of a leyline convergence, goes against everything I was taught about Magecraft."

Sakura understood the point her sempai was making, despite her lack . Ordinarily, a place with this magnitude of power would have been claimed by a Second Owner, a supernatural overseer of the area, who would have almost instantly picked up on a dimensional disturbance that sempai had described as happening, and would have immediately gone to investigate, easily tracking them down in the process.

The fact that this had not happened indicated that something was off.

Sempai wasn't done yet though.

"A much stronger point that can make my case," Shirou expanded, "is this one question."

Shirou's piercing amber eyes locked with Rider's blindfold. Sakura shivered slightly in apprehension and arousal. Apprehension, due to the possible question that could confirm a complete change in their lives, leaving them at the whim of fate and chance. Arousal, as those amber eyes she loved so much, burned fiercely with determination, defiance and dependability, showing a nature that would stand against the heavens themselves to defend what was under his banner, his protection.

They were the eyes of a Warrior King, defending his country, his home, his loved ones.

And she was his Queen.

But this revelation was washed away in the wake of the question that sent chills down the spine of the Matou heiress.

"Can you feel the effects of Gaia?"

Sakura felt her body freeze in surprise and shock, her Servant not much better judging by the stiffening of her shapely shoulders.

Sakura stretched out with her link to Rider, feeling for the sense of hunger that the link caused, devouring her prana in order to keep Rider in this plane of existence, fighting the will of Gaia to erase Rider from existence.

What she had found shocked her. The link was still there, as solid as ever.

But it wasn't consuming prana.

There was no need to keep feeding Rider power, as she wasn't being acted upon by the Will of the World. By the Root, it was like the Will of the World didn't even exist. Something that was blatantly impossible.

Sakura felt the silky tendrils of Rider's consciousness flow up the link, gently touching her mind, a question passing along that mirrored her own.

'How was this possible?'

Shirou only looked at them in understanding, obviously having the same revelation and reaction they did some time before, letting himself come to terms with it.

"I see you finally understand," he spoke wryly, "this isn't simply a parallel reality, like those used in the Second Magic, but a completely different dimension, where even the basic rules that governed the moonlight world, the world of magi, of our reality no longer apply. It may be similar to the Second Magic, but like monkeys and humans are similar to each other. Similar but also entirely different."

She and Rider were still left reeling at the reality of their situation. A completely new world, a different land with new rules. It was Sakura's dream and nightmare, all wrapped in one package.

Shirou went on speaking.

"I have a vague theory as to how we were transported here, which I will go into later, but there is one thing both of you must know."

He looked grim as he spoke now, the set of his shoulders slumping, as if carrying a heavy burden. He opened his mouth to continue, but was interrupted.

"We can't go back." Rider spoke calmly, obviously having managed to gather at least some of her wits and mental faculties, as she managed to connect the dots of the amber-eyed males words.

Shirou froze for a moment, looking at the Servant who had voiced the statement, before leaning back in his chair, closing his eyes, and nodding grimly.

Sakura felt a twisted sense of elation and sorrow at those words. She was with her sempai, but she was in a strange world. Forever.

"The sequence of events that led to our... 'banishment', I suppose... was completely unique." the swordsman explained tiredly, his head still tilted back, "to the best of my knowledge, I don't think it can be replicated," he snorted slightly, mockingly "not by me anyway."

Sakura managed to stir herself back to the present and nodded quietly in agreement. As an Incarnation, his magecraft would always be limited in scope, if not power.

"So now what do we do?" she spoke softly, voicing her questions for the first time during the discussion. They were lost at sea, with no supplies or back-up. What could they possibly do?

Shirou cracked open an eye to stare at her, "The only thing we can do. The thing that man has done since they first stepped foot upon the earth," he answered softly but with a steely determination, "Survive, adapt, overcome. Live as we will."

Shirou sat up straight again, so suddenly that Sakura felt herself start, and leant forward into the eyes of Rider again, "and I will need your help to make this possible, Lady Medusa."

Sakura watched Rider seem to peer intently at her sempai, her face still in an impassive mask, examining him for either deceit or treachery. Rider obviously didn't know her sempai as well as she did, such thoughts would never have crossed his mind, not when she was involved.

"What do you need?" Rider said as she finally relaxed a little.

The resulting discussion between the three went on for quite sometime.

End Flashback

That discussion, full of plans and plots, had been Sakura's first glimpse into the hidden depths of her lover's mind. Despite her loving him just as deeply as he did her, she still knew that there things, important things, about him that she knew nothing of.

In that discussion, she saw the razor-sharp, cunning and experienced mind that he kept hidden from her, either consciously or not. It was not the skill with weaponry, his own version of Gradiant Air or even his Hybrid nature that he had kept hidden, contrary to a normal magi's modus operandi.

It was his ability to think and plan, not like a magi, but a soldier, a general or a tactician. Someone who experienced war and battle, survived it's crimson embrace and came out all the stronger for it.

Despite his skills, it was not something she had expected, or seen before, from her sempai.

Until then anyway.

She still wondered how he had attained such experience, even as she added the dressing to the salad and began serving it on the plates that already had a lightly baked slice of chicken breast placed upon them. It was not traditional Japanese fair, but she though it suited the climate of where they now are.

"It has borne some fruit," Rider responded calmly, belying the importance of her answer.

A scrape of chair was heard, no doubt Shirou was now eagerly paying attention.

Sakura swiftly finished the preparation of the meal and brought them out to the rest of her companions, leaving the last of the cooking utensils until after the meal.

She wanted to hear what her Servant had discovered as well.

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Rider, the Gorgon Queen, eyed her Master's paramour as they all began to eat the sumptuous repast that she had prepared for them all, before they got down to the news she brought.

To her, this man was not someone that she could easily understand. He showed himself as a serious individual the majority of the time, but was also capable of some rather amusing antics. He was a man driven to become a Hero, but chose the life of her Master even over that. He was a warrior, born and bred, the likes of which she had never seen in her lifetime and only sparsely amongst the Throne, yet he seemed as much at home in the kitchen or performing simple domestic duties that were generally relegated to the female gender.

In short, he was a confusing, almost bizarre, existence.

It was almost no wonder a person such as he had a Reality Marble.

He also was very respectful of her. Not out of fear due to her power, as normal humans or magi would be, or out of desire for her beauty like many of the ancient men that had come to the Shapeless Island, before Athena had driven them into a bloody rage. No, his respect was just a part of who he was, treating everyone that met with an equal respect, until they proved unworthy of that respect, like her filth ridden false master Shinji.

Sincere respect was something she was unused to, especially due to her reputation and legend.

It was probably because of this that she had, hesitantly, trusted him when he decided, vehemently, to go along with her in order to rescue her Master, something she would not have done for anyone else. Indeed, if any other person had declared such a thing, she would have slit their throat before the last word was spoken, not willing to risk her Master's well being to hands of a modern magi, who were, almost to a man, without any morales when in the pursuit of their goal. She had been betrayed too many times to trust the word of anyone.

But this... man... had managed to show her the side of humanity, of men, that she had almost never seen.

It disturbed her that she valued this insight, and the one who showed her this.

It was this that allowed her to go along with his plan, despite her misgivings.

Start Flashback

"You jest," Rider spoke flatly, hiding her surprise at the man's request.

"Not at all," responded the incarnation of swords, his voice earnest and sincere, "I mean no offence to you at all, but you don't exactly blend in with the rest of society, even with the limited knowledge the Grail had granted to about the modern era. So, instead of of asking you to keep hidden and unseen, which would not be fair or respectful to you, I'm asking you to use that ...uniqueness... To our advantage."

Rider mentally acknowledged the point the man had made. Despite the knowledge the Grail had granted her, she felt uncomfortable amongst this modern world that was so different to the one she had experienced when she was still alive. With the battles and such generally taking place during the nocturnal hours amongst 'those in the know', as well as her ability to go into astral form, she was able to avoid any awkwardness in social interaction.

Now though, in this new world that seemed to be more like her own world was during the Age of Gods, mingled with the modern era, that feeling of displacement, of being alone in a crowd, came back with a vengeance.

Especially since she had, apparently, lost the ability to go into astral form.

But that still didn't mesh with what the man was planning.

"We desperately need current and up-to-date information, Rider," the former Master of Saber spoke persuasively, "Especially in regards to the supernatural part of the world. And who better to have do so than a member of said realm, who is powerful enough to fend off most, if not all, unscrupulous attentions, if her great stealth and sensitivity to magical effects somehow fail? Your Magic Resistance skill is also a big plus."

"...Flattery will get you nowhere," she answered bluntly, her cheeks turning a shade of red invisible to the eyes. His tongue was obviously made of silver.

"It is merely the truth," Shirou retorted easily, "whether you choose to believe it or not."

"Can you not ask that Sacred Gear of yours?" she asked, gesturing to the bands of steel that wrapped around the forearms of the male.

That was another piece of the enigmatic man that had surprised the Gorgon. Not only was he originally from the dimension they were now in (something that, while very surprising and definitely unexpected, made a little sense. True Hybrids hadn't been seen in the World since her Age and that fact that he was one indicated an anomaly), but he was also the host of something she could only compare to a Noble Phantasm of the upper ranks, mayhap like the Fraga with Fragarach, which, in turn, held a particularly powerful Transcendental Divine Beast (she thought) sealed within it, that was capable on limited interaction with the outside world.

Just the thought of his unreasonable existence gave her headaches.

"No such luck, woman," the Gear spoke up, surprising the two females greatly, not knowing that it would interrupt the discussion, "I may have information, but it is centuries, if not millennia, out of date. I can only obtain new information every time I take, and am awakened, in a new host, something that doesn't happen automatically upon the death of the previous one. In can take up to a century or more, or even a minute or less, for me to be attached to another host."

Rider raised an unseen eyebrow at the rumbling voice that came from the male's bracers. Such information was rather annoying to the Gorgon, but made some sense to her.

Even if it was annoying.

"And this plan involves me becoming bait?" she said archly, her covered eyes boring into amber pools of determination. For a man who had been so adamant in becoming a Hero, placing all other lives above his own, even if it was mitigated somewhat by placing her Master's life above even that, it seemed to go contrary to his usual thought patterns to place another in danger.

"OF COURSE NOT!" he barked sharply and adamantly, thumping the table with a firm fist, making it creak alarmingly, "I would never ask that of you!" his face was flushing an alarming red, as if angered and horrified that she would think he would do such a thing, before he took a couple of slow and deep breaths, his flushed skin fading to it's usual light tan as he reined in his indignation.

"I can understand why you would think that I meant such a thing," he said calmly, cooly, "your former Master, Shinji, was below filth and has probably tainted your view on things a fair bit, even if you were willing to trust me enough to help your Master," he trailed his eyes, a warm molten gold, over the quiet form of Sakura, making the purple haired young woman blush noticeably, "when she was taken by those dead fools." His voice practically growled out the last word, showing his disdain and outright hate for those her referred to, something that didn't really seem to fit the visage of the amiable, if confident, young man.

Incidentally, her Master seemed to be inventing a new shade of red as she blushed even deeper.

"But you have to understand, Rider," he continued, "your skill set makes you the best amongst us to seek out the supernatural. Doubly so, considering who you are and where we are."

"Meaning?" she asked cooly, masking the positive effect his words had on her as she weighed the sincerity of them. His words, so far, had given her no reason to disregard or distrust him. And he was an interesting man.

Not to mention his abilities to lie were horrible, if the efforts he had inadvertently shown her in keeping some of his secrets were any thing to go by. Another's secret, he could keep as if it were under lock and key. His own secrets, not so much.

Surprisingly it was Sakura who answered he question.

"I," her Master began hesitantly, "I think Sempai is referring to that we are in Greece," she mumbled slightly and flushing as Rider and Shirou turned their attention to her, "i-if the magical populace is at least similar to our own, then you would be known among them here, in your birth country."

"Close, little one." the Gear answered, a note of respect in the otherwise rumbling and harsh tones before it addressed the room in general, "what my Partner means is that, last I checked, Greece was one of the major population centres for the European Monster Faction, made up of various species such as Minotaur, Naiads, Lamia and various other beings that have links to Europe in their legends and myths."

"And Lady Medusa here has enough of a, excuse the word, Monstrous presence that others of that Faction would pick up on it and approach her, allowing Rider to access information in an, at least, semi-friendly setting."

Rider frowned in dislike at the reminder of her... twisted... origins. She did not like remembering the days of which she was no more than a hungry beast, devouring any and all in her path. Even her own sisters. Still, the man and the Gear did make some sense in their justifications of requesting the deeds they wanted her to perform.

But there were still a few holes in their reasoning she picked out. One of which was exceedingly dangerous to her due to her past.

"Why not seek out these Factions for your self?" She asked the swordsman, attempting to get to the bottom of this hodge-podge debacle, "With the spirit as an on hand advisor and your own senses for the supernatural, which possibly equal or even exceed my own, you would be just as good, if not better."

The Gorgon watched as the Hybrid grimaced wryly, "For the same reason that you are one of the best for this task, I am one of the worst."

Rider's eyebrow rose again in question, before halting midway as the reason dawned on her, her Master a fraction of a moment behind her as she covered her mouth in a gasp, and voiced it.

"Your heritage." She stated more than asked.

"Correct," the Gear responded, "the European Monsters had never really gotten on well with the Fallen and have had more than few skirmishes between them, causing a fair bit of bad blood. Last I heard, there was still quite a bit of tension, enough that either side tried not to step on the other's toes or tread on their territory. Technically, if Partner was caught by said Faction here, without any prior permission from members of said Faction, then it could be cause for war!

"Something we certainly don't want to be mired in or be the cause of."

Everyone nodded in agreement at the Gear's emphatic statement. Borrowing trouble at this point in time was not on anyone's agenda.

Rider could feel the pieces of the Incarnation's puzzle forming in her mind. HIs thoughts of ran along the line of 'like attracting like'. If the the chatterbox of an artefact was anywhere close to correct in his statements, then the man's idea and plan seemed to be more than feasible. In fact, it appeared to be downright prudent and to do otherwise would either invite disaster or leave the group adrift in this tide of humanity.

"Sensible," she finally concluded out loud, a delicate finger tapping her chin thoughtfully, "Good returns, minimum risk," she glared lightly through her blindfold at the sole male in attendance, "It also places little risk to my Master and leaves her in capable protective hands in case something goes south while I am not at her side. Correct?"

Her voice was still placid, but it had gained an edge of steel as she queried/commanded the young man, her aura, bloody and murderous and chilling, seeping into the air of the room, emphasizing her imminent displeasure if a wrong answer was given regarding her Master's health and well-being.

She needn't have worried.

"That was part of it," Shirou noted, his amber eyes gleaming in understanding at her comment/demand/order before flicking over to a flushing Sakura and softening, even as his voice still retained that firm determination, "I don't mean to hurt you, my dear," he said gently, reaching out with his hand to gently stroke the backs of his fingers over her downcast features, "in your own right, you are a powerful magi, your raw power a rival for anyone I care to name," his knuckles found themselves under delicate chin and nudged her softly enough to raise her head to meet his eyes, "but a battle mage you are not, and the Old Tiger and I are unsure how they would react to familiars, in magi context, or other spells being used. The risk of attracting the wrong kind attention is a bit too high."

He smiled at her gently, his heart in his golden eyes, showing the love he had for the young girl, "So, buck up, okay? You aren't useless, we just need to find the correct circumstances for you to shine."

Sakura face had flushed deeper and nodded with a quiet 'yes, sempai' tacked on the end as a reply.

Rider's stern features softened slightly as she watched the interaction between the two lovers. On Sakura's part, she was still the shy, broken young woman Rider had first seen when she was summoned what seemed like a life time ago. Someone that was so similar to the Gorgon and still so young, it was no wonder that she had been summoned by the young one. Still, that broken child had been put through even more agony and torture because that slimy rapist of a 'brother' and the soul jumping worm of a 'grandfather'. Thankfully, without knowing, the woman had an anchor to reality, something to keep her relatively sane, if not whole, and sought to bring herself closer to her Hero, her Knight, her Saviour.

The Hybrid originally, on the other hand, could only be considered as, to quote the Tohsaka girl, 'distorted'. His values, ethics, beliefs and thought patterns ran contrary to rational thought of the average person or even the average magus. The terrifying thought that his life, in comparison to others, was worth little or nothing, could have been since as an extreme form of Survivor's Guilt, but it wasn't quite correct. There were similarities, more than a few in fact, but there was a difference. In someone with Survivor's Guilt or a Messiah Complex, they each seek such self-destructive paths in order to fulfil an emotional aspect, assuaging guilt in the former and deriving joy or satisfaction in the latter.

Shirou's distortion was such that he did such suicidal and hopeless things, out of instinct, an unfeeling drive or urge that was imprinted on the very basis of his psyche.

Left alone, the magus would have driven himself to an early grave, uncaring of himself as long as he could help others, even if it meant his death.

Such was the fate of Archer.

Then, during the Grail War, her Master was able to bring herself deeper into his heart. Even if it was driven slightly by the putrid worms and circumstances, the two had become lovers.

Which started to shift the swordsman's priorities.

No longer were his thoughts based on saving people he didn't know, but based upon Sakura's happiness. It wasn't quite obsessive, but it did show more devotion than one would usually see within a relationship.

In either case, he was able to place some value on his life because his life was directly linked to Sakura's happiness.

In Rider's opinion, it made him more able to make good tactical and strategic decisions. No one in their right mind wanted a seemingly suicidal commander in a war.

Though, for some reason, the Servant had a feeling that the young man had seen prolonged battle, like a siege or a war, before the Holy Grail debacle had started. She couldn't place a finger on what caused the suspicion, but it stayed in the back of her mind, occasionally nudging her to remember it.

Rider shifted out of her musings to input her own opinion of Shirou's justifications in excluding her Master from potentially harmful situations.

"I agree with Shirou, Master" she opined, looking at the slightly saddened young woman, "you are strong, I have no doubt about that, but you are no warrior or assassin, both of which will be required for this task."

Sakura seemed to accept both of their words, reluctantly and resignedly, and nodded in agreement.

Rider looked back at the slightly melancholic form of Shirou, who did not like to bring sorrow to Sakura but still gave the unvarnished truth so as to prevent her coming to harm, "Despite everything said, I have to ask this question," her blank gaze locked firmly with the male magus, "if this a major centre, but not the centre, for the European Monster Faction, as you stated, then who is the ruling Faction of the area?"

To Rider, this was almost a rhetorical question. With the brief history of this world provided by the young man, the similarities and the differences, she had had a suspicion on the nature of the area they were in. On whom actually ruled here. In the deepest parts of her mind, she knew, but she still sought that confirmation, and hoped to the Throne that she was wrong.

Because if she was right, her history with them, as a whole, was... rough... at best.

Her suspicions were verified by the next words that crossed the winged man's lips.

"About who you would expect," he said with a grim sigh, leaning back in his chair with his brow furrowed, "but the Olympian Faction doesn't have quite as much sway amongst the islands as they do on the mainland. Except for Poseidon, of course."

Medusa let out a slow breath as she tried to calm her churning and thrashing mind.

Olympians. The Council. The Rulers of Greece. Under whatever title they bore, whatever trappings they wear, whatever changes were made to them over the nigh uncountable number of years, they were still the same thing that she once had been but had fallen due to their incited jealousy.

Deities.

She still remembered the days that she lived with her sisters, accepting the adoration, respect (in the case of her sisters), fear (in her case due to her eyes) and worship of the ones whose dreams they were made from.

Then Athena appeared on the scene.

Jealous and wroth with the three new deities, so perfect compared to her own flawed existence, the Goddess of Wisdom goaded their worshippers into attacking them. Again and again.

Soon, the attacks became so frequent that they were forced to leave, situating themselves upon the Shapeless Isle for the rest of their days, away from the swords and torches of humans.

The fact that they were forced to flee tasted like ashes on the Gorgon's tongue. Rage and bitterness were all the thoughts and feelings she could spare for the races of Men and the entities called Gods.

But it still wasn't enough for both Men and God that they had fled. Men kept coming after them desiring to sample and claim the delights of her sisters and her flesh, even if her sisters did not wish to.

Medusa made sure they were made an example of.

Even with this, they kept coming, Athena keeping the legend of the beautiful maidens, ripe for the plucking, alive within the thoughts of men.

Blood flew and organs and limbs lay scattered across the island and she kept slaying them, each death more gruesome than the last. She eventually began to glory in the bloodstained shores of the island where she had met the foolish men in battle. Her anger at the Gods, Men, her sisters, the very world, reaching a point where it took over her mind, spilling blood being the only way to assuage the almost overwhelming hunger that ruled her.

Evidently she had missed a few of the intruders, having been too focused on breaking their comrades to notice they had escaped, returning to their homes, gaunt and pale, with stories of terror crossing their lips and tales of a monstrous woman on their tongues.

Having been shaped by the dreams of Men, it should have come as no surprise that she could be altered by their nightmares.

She remembered little of the time when she was the Gorgon, time blurring together in a crimson haze of blood and hate until she was killed by that demi-god son of Zeus. A last moment of clarity and regret, then she fell into oblivion, taking her place in the Throne.

All the things that had gone wrong in her life, all the events that paved her path of blood in history, could be attributed to this particular branch of divine beings, many of which, no doubt, had less than fond memories of her counterpart in this realm.

And she was being asked to do what amounted a reconnoissance mission, 'under their noses' as it were, in almost the very centre of their power.

About the only thing worse would be having to sneak around on Olympus itself.

If she had any other viable ideas, Rider would not have hesitated in giving them in order to avoid any confrontation with the Olympians. She may be a fallen Goddess, a former Monster, and now a Heroic Spirit, but she knew that her power, limited as it was due to her status as a Servant in comparison to her true form, was not in the league of a deity. The confrontation would be short, decisive and would not end in her favour, if it came to blows.

She did not want to encounter them, even Poseidon who she had a semi-friendly relationship with before her... Transformation..., but she had a feeling that they would become involved in this little information gathering mission. Sooner or later.

Rider heavily hoped for later.

She grimaced inwardly. This was a fate she could not avoid. She was best option for intelligence this limited group, with little resources, to obtain their goal.

Hopefully, this whole situation would not blow up in their faces.

Hopefully.

Her voice was measured, clinical and clipped, hiding her unease, as spoke to the softened and sympathetic eyes of the Hybrid, "Where should I start looking?"

Shirou looked at her deeply in the eyes, as if peering into her very soul, much to her discomfort, before nodding slightly at her unspoken acquiescence to his plan.

"According to the Old Tiger, this particular monster Faction is some what reclusive, but like to stay close to human habitation. So, we need..."

Rider carefully listened to the search patterns, if they could honestly be called that, Shirou laid out for her, picking up on the behaviours of the counterparts of the many beings she had seen, in her time, in this realm. But, even as she listened, asked specific and clarifying questions and heeded the advice of Shirou, the Gear and her Master, she could not help but think that these words may end up being of little use or interfered with.

After all, if there was one thing she had learnt whilst living, it was that Gods love to meddle.

And, if found, they would be a Very. Tempting. Target.

End Flashback

"Rider?" A voice spoke in concern, jolting her from her musings. Her beautiful head lifted up, her unique eyes, framed by the powerful glasses that made up one of her Noble Phantasms, meeting the concerned amber orbs of the focus of her thoughts.

"Are you alright?" he queried her with a slight frown, obviously at least slightly worried, "we were calling your name for a few minutes, but you weren't responding."

Rider found herself surprised. As someone who had had numerous beings gunning for her life when she still was amongst the mortal world, it was essential for her to be attentive to her surroundings and the events that took place in order to survive. That she was so deep in her thoughts that she had tuned out the world, to the point of ignoring her own name/designation being spoken numerous times, was concerning. Slips like that had cost people their own lives before.

She had no desire to join that particular list.

"...I'm fine," she answered, trying to cover her slip, "I was just lost in thought."

Shirou faced changed quickly, much to her surprise, from worry to a mischievous smirk, "Then you may want to avoid that in future," he said slyly, a twinkle of humour in his eyes as he gestured before her, "after all, we don't really need our food bills to sky rocket."

Rider tilted her head in confusion before glancing down at the table, her eyes widening in shock at the sight before her. Or rather, what she didn't see.

The delicious repast of chicken and salad, prepared by her Master, had only barely been touched when she had drifted down memory lane. What sat before was an empty plate seemingly almost licked clean, the cheap white porcelain gleaming in the light.

She had been unconsciously eating without thought or remembering the taste after the first few bites.

Her Master was truly frightening. Forget Magecraft, her cooking was almost a True Magic in itself.

And she had learnt from the young man whose amber eyes gleamed in merriment at her surprised expression.

Surprisingly, she had not yet tasted the sinful delicacies that the Hybrid was purported to be able to make, despite his vocal statements of his desire and wish to use the kitchen more often. Considering that the young man's employment was in a traditional Greek restaurant, Sakura had been of the opinion that he didn't need to slave over a stove for them when he had already done so at his workplace. Shirou had tried to protest, only to be met by the soft voice, watery eyes and hesitant demeanour that was a woman's most dangerous weapon.

He had folded like a house of cards, much to Rider's amusement, and let Sakura do the cooking for the small household.

Her amusement had only grown each time he saw Shirou look longingly at the entrance to the small kitchen whenever the smells and sounds of food being cooked reached him, accompanied by the soft humming of her Master.
"...I'll be mindful of that in the future," she replied, hiding her disgruntlement.

If his slight smirk didn't show that she had not hidden well enough, her Master's soft giggle would have.

The light atmosphere changed to a serious one as Shirou pushed his also empty plate to the side, his face now focused.

Obviously it was now time for her report.

"Have you found any traces or made any contact?" he asked, not beating around the bush. Like Rider, he knew that the longer it took to locate the local Faction, the heavier the chances became that their encounters with a different Faction, most probably Olympian, would be uncomfortable to say the least.

And it would happen. The combined luck of all the assembled pretty much guaranteed it.

Thankfully, the news she had may just prevent a divine catastrophe.

"I have recently made contact," she answered calmly, cooler heads were needed in this discussion, a wrong move made because of a misplaced feeling could very well mean bad news, "just today in fact. A small group of Nereids in a secluded beach on the northern part of the island."

Shirou and Sakura's eye widened in interest. Despite being magi, finding, meeting and surviving beings such as they were once in a millennium meetings due to the decline of the Age of the Gods. It seemed that childish wonder still had a place in each of their hearts despite the hardships they both had faced in their life.

Something she would muse on later as she continued her report, "They were wary of me at first, not knowing who or what I was, but once I flared a portion of my power, they were more than intrigued and we talked for a time, catching up on recent events with my ploy of growing up secluded."

"So the ploy worked," Shirou sighed in thankfulness. Rider did also, she knew nymphs of any stripe could be rather dangerous if they felt they were being insulted, and lying would be quite an insult. Thankfully, it was more of a half-truth, and quite permissible under the circumstances.

"The island is currently firmly under the control of nymphs," she continued, "tourists evidently make for an interesting distraction for them, keeping them occupied." she drew a deep breath, the next bit of news would be very unwelcome, to put it mildly, "the problem with that is that they bow only to Poseidon, of the Olympian Faction."

She saw both of the younger people before her stiffen in slight alarm, something she shared but had had more time to prepare and order her mind to accept this news.

It was a scenario neither of them wanted to face, but it was now their real predicament. As magi, Sakura in particular, they had grown up learning of the true nature of the Divine Spirits during the Age of the Gods.

Callous. Petty. Egotistical. Selfish. Vengeful.

These words, and many more, could accurately describe them. In other words, dealing with them was only to be done as a last resort, else they may twist your deal to the point that it destroys you. If they even keep up their end of the deal at all, that is.

And now, knowing the way Nereids worked, they would have informed their Lord immediately upon the end of their discussion.

Shirou chose that moment to sum up their situation.

"Well Damn."

Pbpbpbpbpbpbpbpbpbpbpbpbpbpbpbpbpbpbpbpbpbpbpbpbpbpbpbpbpbpbpbpbpbpbpbpbpbpbpb

Hey folks. Okay, I know many of you may be disappointed in the chapter due to the lack of action, but this is more of a filler chapter for the 'meet and greet' that will happen next. I wonder how Rider will feel when she meets of one the 'kinder', for a given value of it, Olympians.

Just a warning to dxd purists, my Poseidon will be more like the one from PJO.