Fate/Stay Night Sea of Souls

Chapter 1

Fuyuki City.

It is a small city away from the more populated regions of Japan. The western, and most of the southern part of the city is surrounded by trees, while the Sea of Japan can be found in the north. The city is also divided into two sections, Shinto and Miyama City. The two are separated by a river, and connected by bridge, with Shinto in the east and Miyama city in the west.

Despite being small and lacking any popular tourist attractions, it has just as much to offer as any other city. On weekdays, people can be found walking the streets trying to get to work or school. On free days, the shopping district would be filled with people, children playing at the park, friends hanging out at family restaurants, and the arcade bustling with gamers. On nights, people were either having the time of lives at clubs, singing their hearts out in a karaoke bar, chatting away at coffee shops, or just plain walking around enjoying the company of friends. Some prefer the comfort of their homes, reading a book, watching television as they anxiously wait for the outcome of their favorite drama series, or sleeping after a hard day's work.

It is hard to imagine that 10 years ago, Shinto was burned to the ground after being aflame for an entire day. The large fire consumed the lives of hundreds of people, completely unaware of what had happened. The local authorities couldn't find any clues as to who or what caused the tragedy.

The truth behind this incident was the climax of a war that transpired in the city in secret. It is called "The Holy Grail War." The event involves seven individuals called Masters, each with a representative of their own known as Servants, in a gruesome battle for the Holy Grail until only one Master and his or her Servant are the only ones standing. Although the artifact is not the same as the one people would believe it to be, it's power is still overwhelming. The Holy Grail is capable of granting the wish of the winning Master and Servant. Once the grail has done its purpose, it will go into hibernation until the conclusion of the next war.

After ten years, the Holy Grail War is about to begin once again.

Rin Tohsaka, the successor of the Tohsaka family, belongs to one of the known families of magus that participate in the war, as well as one of three who established it.

She's currently within the confines of her home, in the middle of practice for the summoning ritual for her Servant, despite how late it already is.

"Thou, clad with the Great Trinity, come forth from the circle of constraint." Rin recites as she stood firmly in the middle of a dark room, her right arm holding a tome open and her left arm raised in front of her. "Guardian of the Heavens!".

The ritual itself is not important, but if a Master wants to summon a reliable Servant, then the necessary pre-cautions must be taken into consideration. After all, she intends to summon a Saber class Servant, boasted to be the greatest of all Servant classes.

Rin remained silent for another minute before finally stretching her arms and giving a soft yawn. "Perfect. That should be enough for now. It's probably close to midnight, anyway. I'm exhausted."

It was last school night for the week, and classes are becoming more intense since Finals are getting closer. Rin didn't need to worry though. She is perfectly confident

with her performance in school, but she does have reputation to maintain. It wouldn't do to have her classmates see her nodding off during class, rumors spread rather quickly after all. Taking a day off is also out of the question. As a magus, her pride wouldn't allow something as shallow as the lack of sleep hinder her. Plus, it'll give a certain sadistic priest a reason to talk her down.

Rin shut the book on her hand and made her way towards the door. "Only one more week before the term ends. I should spend the entire break making preparations for the Holy Grail War."

The young magus knows that she will be more than ready once she's done her preparations. Her abilities are at its peak during this time. Not only that, she also has the jewel pendant her father gave her. The necklace will give a significant boost in her abilities during the summoning ritual.

Once all seven servants have been summoned, that is when things will get serious. She's confident that she couldn't fail as long as she play her cards right. The war wouldn't be decided by strength alone. With enough information, she could make the necessary preparations to take down any enemy that comes her way, along with her Servant of course.

She grabbed the doorknob and twisted. "Oh! I almost forgot. I should remove the magic circle." Realizing this, she let go of the doorknob. Magic circles are capable of remaining active for years, but if she wants a more effective and desirable outcome, it's better to make a fresh one.

Making her way towards the magic circle, she could hear the chime of the grandfather clock in the living room, informing the young magus that it is already midnight. As if on cue, a slight tremor shook the estate. It was so weak at first that Rin didn't notice it until it started to increase in intensity.

"What in the-?! An earthquake?!" Rin said, as she tried to keep herself from falling. The shaking continued and seemed to get stronger and more violent by the second until the young brunette finally lost her balance.

"Kyaa!" Rin yelped as she fell forward and letting go of the book she was holding. In fear of sustaining any serious injuries, Rin braced herself by quickly reinforcing her arms and legs before hitting the floor. Fortunately for the young brunette, the earthquake suddenly started to subside.

Once the ground has finally settled down, Rin slowly picked herself up. "What in the world was that about?" she asked herself. The violent earthquake appeared out of nowhere, then suddenly disappear in a matter of seconds. Such type of earthquakes usually take time before calming down. Rin started think that this might be an omen of sorts. She certainly didn't hope so.

As thoughts of the Holy Grail War crossed her mind, she noticed something very peculiar. Rin calmed herself down, just in case it was her imagination. Unfortunately for her, no matter what logic or line of thinking she used, the sense of dread wouldn't go away. The cause of her discomfort wasn't something from the room she was in. It was coming from somewhere inside the house.

Ding...! Ding ...! Ding ...!

'There's no denying it, but that's impossible' Rin thought. 'That thing should have fallen over after that earthquake!'

It was the grandfather clock, she can still clearly hear it's chime. Surely an earthquake that big would have tipped the clock, breaking it. But no, she can still hear it, just as it made its final chime.

The young woman was about to leave the room to investigate, until she noticed something else. This time, it was from the room she was in. She just realized that she had just done something she wasn't supposed to, at least not without the preparations she intended on using. The room slowly started to light up in an eerie blue.

"No! It can't be ...!" said Rin as she just realized what she is currently standing on. She was on the magic circle she intended on removing earlier. Apparently, in her futile attempt of keeping her balance, she failed to realize that she slowly got closer to the magic circle, before finally landing in the middle of it.

Dumbfounded. It is closest word to describe how Rin looked as she watched the magic circle glow brighter, turning from a dim blue to blindingly white, forcing her to squint and cover her eyes with her hand, while trying to see though her fingers what was transpiring in front of her.

The young woman slowly opened her eyes only to be met with darkness and silence once again.

"Was it a failure?" said the young magus, hoping it would be the case. Her hopes were dashed, however, when she heard a loud thud coming from the floor above her. In a heartbeat, Rin left the room in a sprint to investigate the source, not even bothering to pick up her book or closing the door.

Making her way to the second floor, the young magus could feel her heart pound faster and harder, paying no heed to anything she passed by, even though whatever it was shouldn't be in the state it's currently in. And apart from her beating heart, Rin could also feel various emotions starting to well up inside her: frustration, due to her carelessness, panic, for what she suspects might be the cause of the sudden disturbance in the room above her, fear of having her suspicions confirmed, and finally, distressed at what she considers to be one of the worst and most unfortunate nights of her entire life.

Despite mental and physical stress she had to go through during her sudden sprint, one thing is perfectly clear. That is, whether the cause of her anxiety was from all the running, or from the shock of possibly prematurely summoning her Servant, wasn't important to her in any way. What IS important is that she gets to the living room as soon as possible.

The moment Rin saw the door to her intended destination, she discarded all of her thoughts and worries that plagued her mind, and ran even faster. However, just as she was about to reach for the doorknob, she suddenly froze. It was very strange. One second she was running as if her life depended on it, the next second she became still as a statue.

'What is this feeling? Why won't my body move?' thought Rin, as she struggled to regain control of her body, but to no avail. There was something about the unknown presence on the other side of the door in front of her. The feeling was overwhelming, and the words she can use to describe the sensation was both lacking and contradicting. It felt as though there is absolutely nothing there, and yet at same time also felt as if the presence was comparable to number of stars there are in the sky, if not more. Zero and infinite were the words closest she could use to count the number of entity or entities she could sense from the room before her. Either way, whatever it is or how many there are, the room exuded a tremendous amount of power enough to stop her from tracks. The aura only seemed to grow stronger and more intense, almost suffocating, possibly even to those who are incapable of sensing the existence of prana.

Suddenly, a soft shuffling sound could be heard from the room in front of her, but it was more than enough to break the sudden spell that took over her. Rin didn't bother analyzing what just happened and just opened the door. The sooner she finds out what was in the room, the easier it will be for her to make sense of what is going on.

Upon opening the door, Rin quickly spotted something out of place. In fact, the entire room didn't look right. First, like she noticed with the rest of the house as she made her way to the room she's currently in, the living room and everything in it seemed untouched despite the short, yet violent earthquake that had come earlier. Second, moments after opening the living room door, she swore that she saw the grandfather clock glow with a faint hue of gold before returning to its original color.

Finally, an unknown figure that seemed to be slowly picking itself up from the floor not too far from the grandfather clock.

Once again, Rin found herself unable to move as the mysterious figure slowly stood up whilst facing her direction. The magus couldn't even find her voice and only watch the rising figure, but at least she could finally make out that it was male. The young man looked about her age with a light build and stood taller than her by almost half a foot. He also wore what appears to be a school uniform from which she doesn't recognize coming from any school near hers, or any school in Fuyuki City for that matter. The unfamiliar uniform consisted of a fully buttoned white collared shirt, tied by a loose black bow tie, an unbuttoned black jacket with an unfamiliar school logo on the left breast, paired with matching black pants, held up by a black belt & buckle, and oddly enough, a pair of black engineer boots. However, what really caught the young brunette's attention wasn't any of these things. It was the young stranger's blue hair, his bangs partially covering his right eye.

The moment her aqua blue eyes met his gray-blue ones, she found control over her body once again. Rin immediately composed herself and addressed the young man who invaded her home in the middle of the night.

"Who are you, and what are you doing here?!" said Rin in a strict voice, as she instinctively placed her left hand on her hip while pointing her index finger with the other.

Unfortunately, the only answer she got from the her intruder was a yawn while stretching his arms. This frustrated the young magus making her repeat the question in a more harsher tone.

The blue haired young man looked at her direction once more and looked at her as if in a daze. "Sorry about that. I didn't mean to be rude," said the boy, as he stifled another yawn "I thought I was dreaming. It's not every day I would find myself waking up in place I've never been to."

"Do you expect me to believe that wandered into my house in your sleep while wearing those type of clothes? Yeah right! Who are you and what are you doing in my house?" Rin said, getting annoyed with her questions still unanswered.

The boy looked around his surroundings, and he was pretty sure that he wasn't familiar with the place and asked "Where is this place?"

"Don't answer me with another question?!" the young brunette yelled, slowly losing her patience.

"I'd like to know the answer those questions as well," the stranger simply answered, unaffected by the tone the young woman was giving him, and continued, "and like I mentioned earlier, I just woke up and found myself here."

Rin observed the young man in silence and furrowed her brow thinking to herself if she should believe his story or not. True enough, the boy looked as if he just woke up after being interrupted from good night sleep if his eyes were any indication. His voice also seemed very genuine and truthful. However, the state of his clothes stated otherwise. If he really did just wake up from his sleep, his clothes would at least be slightly wrinkled from sleeping on the floor, but that wasn't the case. It looked as if it was fresh out from the cleaners. Also, the tone he used could have been easily executed by anyone after a bit of practice.

The young magus was about to speak when she realized something. The young man said he wanted to know the answer to her questions. Did that include his name as well? Thinking this would be unlikely, Rin broke the silence.

"Don't tell me you don't even know your own name?" said Rin in a mocking tone, as she crossed her arms.

The bluenette closed his eyes and tilted his head to the right. While the boy was deep in thought, Rin mentally face palmed at the fact that the boy is actually considering using such an excuse.

"Now that you mentioned it ... yeah" replied the blue-haired boy in a matter-of-factly tone, causing Rin to frown even further.

Cold silence filled the room as the two continued to look at each other. The entire time, Rin stared daggers at the blue-haired boy, who merely looked back with half-lidded eyes while remaining unperturbed by the aura of irritation she was clearly emitting. She was looking for any signs of hesitation or anything that could tell her that the boy was lying. Anyone in their right mind would think the same way. However, the boy doesn't seem to indicate any signs at all. It remained to be seen whether the boy outright ignored the evident hostility in her voice and the cold looks she was giving or was just completely oblivious about the current situation. Apart from the sleepy or bored look he gave, the boy carried a cool and calm demeanor.

The room remained quiet until Rin decided to bring an end to their little staring contest and continued to question the young trespasser.

"Are you seriously trying to tell me that you have amnesia? That you can't remember anything?" Rin asked, frustration evident in her voice.

"It's not that I can't remember anything. It's just that can't make any sense of the things I can remember." the boy answered. He paused, clearly having difficulty expressing it in words. "The images are there, but they're completely blurred out. I can't make out the faces of people or how they're related to me in any way. And the conversations I might have had with them are so muffled it is as if there was wall between us."

The room became quiet once again. The young magus could feel a migraine coming as it took every bit of willpower she could muster at the moment to regain her composure from what she was hearing. She would have voiced out on how ridiculous the boy's tale was, but decided against it when she saw how troubled he looked. So instead, she decided to play along and see where he was going with this.

Rin closed her eyes and broke the silence once again by taking a deep breath. She then opened her eyes and stared down the young man once again.

"Alright ... let's say I believe you. Do you remember anything about how you got here? What was the last thing you remember?" Rin asked.

The young man closed his eyes in order to concentrate. "Well, I remember being in a very dark place. Whether I was asleep or it was just very dark, it's hard to tell. I couldn't feel my legs, or any part of my body, but it seemed like I was floating. Time didn't seem to exist so couldn't tell how long I stayed like that"

Rin quietly listened to the boy's story, her eyes never leaving the boy even for a second. To her, it seemed like the boy had been dead before they met. The boy described an endless void from what she could make out from his tale. Absolute darkness, inability to feel anything, and even time didn't seem to exist. It was quite the tale, but the fact that the boy in front her is alive and well, could only mean that it was nothing but a story. A story made by a boy who got caught sneaking around in her house. Rin had half the mind to stop the boy's ramblings and report him to the authorities, until his story took a sudden turn.

"All of a sudden, I saw a small bright light. From where I was, it looked like a star shining on a dark sky. I wanted to reach out to it, but I couldn't. Then again, I didn't have to. As I looked at the small light, I watched as it slowly started getting bigger and bigger" the boy said as he suddenly started to sound a bit enthusiastic. "It was then I noticed that I slowly started to regain the feeling in body. I could also feel a strong tug in my chest as it pulled me towards the light." The boy paused then continued. "However, before I could reach the light, I started hearing the chime of a clock. After that my vision became shaky and the chime was drowned out by a loud rumbling noise."

When Rin heard this, her eyes widened. The boy's story was starting to go on a direction she didn't expect. She wanted to ask another question, but she couldn't bring herself to interrupt the bluenette. She wanted to continue listening, and so she did.

"The noise continued until I heard a scream. I didn't know who's it is or where it came from, all I know is that I suddenly found myself being pulled to wherever it came from. Everything went dark after that. The next thing I remember is waking up here," the boy finished. He then looked at Rin, seeing how the girl's expression suddenly change from when she was interrogating him earlier to a paling one, he knew that they both came to the same conclusion.

"Wait! Don't tell me ..." Rin trailed off as she returned the boy's gaze. His once empty eyes now filled with questions and the determination to find their answers.

"Are you the one responsible for bringing me here?" the young man asked as he made his way towards her, his eyes never leaving hers.

Rin slowly started to step back, but this made the young man increase his pace. The boy continued his query as he got closer, betraying the relaxed image she saw in him earlier. As soon as he got too close, Rin instinctively raised her right hand in an attempt to slap him. The blue haired boy stopped in his tracks and caught her by the wrist. The magus suddenly yelped in pain, causing the boy to immediately let go of her hand.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you. I just-" the boy apologized, but was cut off by Rin.

"WILL YOU JUST SHUT UP FOR A MOMENT?!" Rin screamed at boy while clutching her right hand to her chest.

The boy simply complied and stepped away from the girl to give her the space she needed. He took this moment of silence as an opportunity to recompose himself.

Closing his eyes, the boy took a deep breathe ad slowly exhaled. With the feeling of anxiety slow leave him, the boy opened his eyes and looked at the girl, who was still clutching her right hand. The girl had her eyes closed. Her face clearly indicated that she was in pain, but she remained silent.

Rin couldn't believe what was happening. She didn't want it to start like this. There were still a lot of preparations she had to make. And yet, the burning sensation on the back of her right hand was a definite sign that she had to make drastic changes from her original plans. She could only hope that her companion would be skilled and competent enough to see them through.

Finally, after a moment that felt like eternity, Rin could feel the pain on her hand subside. Rin kept her eyes closed until she finally decided to take a peek at the hand she was still holding. The young magus already knew what sight would greet her, but she couldn't help herself from thinking positively and cling to what hope she had left. She slowly opened her right eye before immediately shutting it once again. There was no point denying it anymore. The proof is right in front of her, she just needed to accept and make it work somehow.

Sighing in resignation, Rin broke the silence once again and addressed her guest. "You! From the way you've been acting, it's clear that you have no idea what you're currently involved in." The boy gave a simple nod as a response. "Right. I guess I should start from the beginning. Before we begin, I suppose I should introduce myself. My name is Rin Tohsaka. I am your Master, and you are my Servant," Rin said to the boy as she took a seat on her living room armchair.

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Rin spent a good time explaining everything to her Servant. The Holy Grail war, the contract between Masters and their Servant, and what they'll be facing in the near future. The young man took in every piece of information that came his way and remained silent the entire time, asking questions only when there were terms that he was unfamiliar with. Whether the boy believed her or not, his expression didn't show it. Then again, it was irrelevant. The markings on her right hand is all the proof she needed.

"That pretty much covers everything you need to know right now. Do you have any questions?" Rin asked.

"I just have one more. Do you know why I was summoned?" the boy asked, who was already back to his calm self.

"Unfortunately, I don't know the reason. I summoned you completely by accident. Not only that, I wasn't planning starting the ritual until after the new term starts.

Determining which Servant will be summoned will vary on which of the two methods is used in the ritual." Rin held up her right hand and counted, "The first and most basic is with an incantation. Using this method, the Servant summoned will be someone who has a good affinity with their Master. Needless to say, with the number of Heroic Spirits within the Holy Grail, there's no way determine who will be summoned." Rin then raised two fingers, counting the second method, "And lastly, the second method will require a catalyst. Using a catalyst will bypass the need of an incantation and will summon a Servant that has ties to it. This method will be more accurate if a magus is planning on summoning someone specific."

"I see..." the boy replied, sounding neither satisfied nor disappointed with the answer.

"Now then, considering your current condition, it's a moot point to ask who you are. But that could be a good thing, at least the other Masters will have a harder time assessing you," Rin pointed out. "And as for your skills and abilities, luckily the Grail grants the Masters the ability to check a Servant's status through clairvoyance."

At least that was what Rin hoped anyway. Now that she's officially part of the Holy Grail War with an amnesiac for a Servant, she will need all the help she can get her hands. Never mind winning, what she needed to plan for was survival. A key factor would be figuring out what her Servant can do.

Rin closed her eyes and concentrated on any bit of information she can get on her Servant. It wasn't long until she opened her eyes and addressed the young man once again with a stern expression.

"From what I could gather, your status is slightly below average, I have no idea what your skills are, and as for your class ..." the brunette paused and asked, "Tell me. Are you familiar with fighting using any type of weaponry?"

The blue-haired boy thought about the question for a moment before answering, "I seem to recall being able to use a few types of weapons. Swords, spears, bows, axes, and hammers. Other than that, I can also fight hand-to-hand."

Rin was honestly surprised. To think a boy like him, someone who didn't seem to have a care in the world, would be knowledgeable in various forms of martial arts. With the way the boy dressed, he looked like any other teenager. It made her wonder as to what kind of life her Servant lived to know such things.

"Well, at least your flexible," said the young magus, "From what little information I could gather, there are 3 possible classes you might belong to. First is the Assassin class. I say this because your stats are generally low, so you may be more adept in dealing with Masters instead of their Servants. And since you may have come from this age and your facial features being Japanese, you could blend in society very easily. Your disposition is also very quiet, and it actually took me time to sense your presence without actually looking at you when I first entered the room."

Rin paused for a bit to make sure her Servant was keeping up with her. Although his expression showed complete neutrality, sure enough, the blue-haired boy had his complete and undivided attention on her. When her Servant showed no signs of interrupting her, she proceeded with her explanation.

"Before I continue with the remaining two classes, let me explain the other four I've discounted. First would be the Saber class. The Saber class is known to be the strongest of all Servant classes, and with your attributes, the gap is far too wide to even consider it," the brunette harshly exclaimed, which failed to cause any reaction from the blue-haired boy.

Ignoring the boy's lack of change in facial expression, Rin continued "the same can be said to the Lancer class. The only differences would be two's weapon of choice, and that the Lancer class has a high attribute in speed. The third would be the Caster class. Although your attributes are almost identical to those of a Caster, the main difference is the Caster's proficiency in magecraft. As for the fourth class, that would be the Berserker. A Berserker requires a tremendous amount of prana to sustain. And unless you're one of those silent types who snapped and went on a killing spree in your previous life, then it's unlikely you'd be in this class," Rin joked, but still, her Servant showed no signs of emotion, which started to unnerve her a little.

Addressing her Servant once again, Rin continued, "Let me explain the remaining two classes, before we end it for the night. I mentioned earlier that there were three classes that might be under. I already told you about the Assassin class, and the other four I discounted, leaving what two classes...?" Rin trailed off, to make sure her Servant was listening.

"Archer, and Rider" answered the boy, like a student from a teacher's question.

"You've been so quiet, I was starting to wonder if you were sleeping with your eyes open. Anyway, that's right. Both classes don't specialize in any particular attribute, but their abilities is what sets them apart. Archers are proficient in projectile weapons, while Riders show their true potential when they're on their mounts. I considered these two classes since it is too soon to tell what your abilities are. You might have a Noble Phantasm or two related to one of the two classes specialty," Rin concluded.

Ding...! Ding ...! Ding ...!

"That late already? I guess I should end this little lecture for now" said Rin to no one in particular, as she took a quick glance at the grandfather clock.

It was already 1:00 am. The young woman had been so focused on explaining things to her Servant, she didn't notice the time fly by. There was only a few hours left before she needed to get ready for school, so she really needed to get some sleep.

"Do you any questions before we end it here for the night?" the young Master asked her Servant.

The boy slowly shook his head and replied, "No. I'm fine for now."

"If that's the case, I'm going to bed. I'm not sure if you'll be needing it, but there's a few guest rooms you can sleep in. I live alone so feel free to use one of them if you feel like it." said Rin as she started to make her way to exit the room, but stopped when she heard her Servant respond.

"Thank you," replied the boy as he watched the girl look back to him "I don't remember anything about my past, and I know it will cause some big problems to come our way. But even so, I can promise you one thing. I will protect you."

Rin saw the same determination in the boy's eyes again. The same eyes he had when he pieced together that she had summoned him. Hearing the boy's promise with those eyes staring back at her, Rin could feel face her heat up and quickly turned around towards the door.

"Y-your welcome! I'm sure you won't mind if hold you to your promise then," came her reply, as she kept her already flushed face hidden from the boy.

The boy nodded, despite the fact that his Master still had her back on him. Rin was trying to hide it from him, but he can feel her appreciation towards him nonetheless.

Crash!

Thou art I ... And I am thou ...

Thou hast established a new bond and awakened an earlier one

With the blessing of the Fool Arcana,

Thou hast come closer to thy answer to a new journey

A mysterious voice said, and at the same time, a torrent of images flooded the boys mind. The images still showed no signs of familiarity, all except one. It was the image of a bridge lit up by a full moon on an eerie green sky. Although the boy felt familiar with the scenery, it still made no sense to him.

The boy frantically looked around trying find the source of the mysterious voice.

[Calm down! It's just a sign that you're starting to regain your memories] another voice said. Although both voices sounded male, the first voice sounded deep and authoritative, while the second was cheerful and that of a teenager's.

During the blue-haired boy's frantic search for the disembodied voice, another voice seemed to have joined in. This time, however, it came from Rin who'd been trying to get his attention for the past minute. It seemed that the Servant's restlessness did not go unnoticed, and had caught the attention of his Master, who looked at him with inquisitive eyes.

"Hey! What's the matter this time?" the young magus asked the boy.

The boy looked at her and asked, "Did you hear that?"

"Hear what? What are you talking about? I don't hear anything" Rin asked, trying to make sense of what the boy was saying.

Realizing that he was getting nowhere, the boy further elaborated the reason for his distress. It was impossible for her not to hear them. The voices sounded very close and apart from the ticking of the grandfather clock, the house was very quiet. If she didn't hear them, but he did, then it must have been his imagination.

An awkward moment of silence passed after the boy's explanation.

"I take back what I said about there being 3 possible classes for you. I'm adding Berserker to the list." came Rin's reply.

The boy mentally sweatdropped. He expected such a reaction from the young woman. Anybody would react the same way.

[Well you have to admit, it does seem pretty far-fetched]

The boy, instead of ignoring the voice, decided to respond. 'Who are you?', he asked using his inner voice.

[Somebody from your past. Somebody who knows a great deal about you.]

'Do you have a name?'

[Of course! But if the young lady says that information can help decide the winner of this whole thing, then it may be best if we could keep it a secret for now]

'I can't just call you mysterious voice number 2, can I?'

The voice chuckled.

[True. Well, my real name and alias might cause a bit of unwanted attention, so let me make up a new one. Let's see ... Oh! I know! In light of the situation were mixed in, and what I was tasked to do in our previous life, you may call me ...]

"Harbinger" the boy muttered, sensing a bit of familiarity with the name. His thoughts were cut short when he felt his Master giving him a cold stare. Apparently, after Rin commented on him being a possible Berserker, he started staring into space.

[Just because your conversing with me doesn't mean time will stop for you. *chuckles*]

"Harbinger. The voice in my head said to refer to him as Harbinger" the boy explained, ignoring the voice's comment.

"That name sounds ... ominous" Rin commented. The word refers to a person who foreshadows an event in the future or someone who will initiate a drastic change to it.

It made Rin wonder if her Servant was really harmless as he appeared to be. Perhaps what people say about the quiet people are true. They're the ones you need to watch out for.

Pushing her thoughts aside, she decided to ask another question, "Does he know what your name is?" Rin inquired.

The boy paused and waited for an answer from Harbinger. Although he didn't show it, he was anxious to know as well.

"According to him, my name is Makoto Yuki," answered the newly-named Servant.

The name was unfamiliar, but Rin mentally took note of it. She finally has a lead. All she needed was do the research. It wasn't a common so she might have a chance in finding something. It was also of Japanese origin so it also greatly narrows down where she needed to look.

"It looks like were starting to get somewhere. Unfortunately, we'll have to stop for now. It's already late and I still have school in the morning." Rin told the boy. She hoped that by the time she got back, Harbinger might be able to further jog the memory of her amnesiac Servant.

Makoto nodded, "Good night, Tohsaka-san."

Without looking back, Rin waved back and exited the room with a "Good night," leaving Makoto to his own devices for the night.

[So, you must have a lot of questions about who you are.] said Harbinger, mild amusement evident in his voice.

'Not really,' the boy replied, much to the voice's surprise. Instead, he walked towards the only bookshelf in the room, and perused through the rows of books on it.

It was an understatement. Makoto had years worth of questions. Who he was? What was his life like? Did he have a family? The list goes on, but decided against asking them. He opted to wait for his memories to return. Merely asking about his past won't matter much. It would be like a jigsaw puzzle. Harbinger can help him put it together, but without the missing pieces, they just wouldn't make sense. Sure, Harbinger can fill in the gaps, but he doubted even he could describe what he felt on each passing moment of his memories. The Servant concluded that it would be best if he could put them all together himself.

[You're going to read instead?! That's boring! I can tell you over a hundred things that are more interesting to do than reading a book] Harbinger argued back.

'Oh?' Makoto replied. He pulled out a book, but placed it back and continued browsing.

[Yeah! We can talk about Rin-chan. You have to admit she looks pretty-] were the only words Makoto heard before he decided to tune out Harbinger's voice. It was a futile attempt, but it didn't mean he couldn't try.

Finally finding a book that piqued his interest, he took it out from the bookshelf and made himself comfortable on the couch. Feeling a tingling sensation on his collar bone, he gently rubbed it and proceeded to read the book. By this point, Harbinger was practically yelling at him the wonders of the female anatomy. Needless to say,

Makoto learned two things from the voice in his head. One was that his moments of peace were constantly disrupted in his previous life by those around him, which he remembered that he didn't mind most of the time. And two, whoever Harbinger was, he was a complete pervert.

Crash!

Thou art I ... And I am thou ...

Thou hast awakened a forgotten bond

With the blessing of the Death Arcana,

Thou hast come closer to thy answer to a new journey

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Rin entered her bedroom. She didn't bother changing into usual sleeping attire, and just laid down her bed. Staring at the ceiling, the young woman reflected on the things that happened today.

The day begin like any other day. She woke up, freshened up, got ready for school, went to school, came back from school, and took a bath. The night ended differently from normal though. She wanted to practice a bit for a summoning ritual, a mysterious earthquake passed by, a mistake of unimaginable proportions occurred, and ended up pre-maturely summoning her Servant. To make matters worse, he was an amnesiac with no clue whatsoever with the things to come, and with mediocre attributes. A large disadvantage in the upcoming battles. He was hard to read, and rarely let any bit of emotion escape him. But strangely enough, the situation improved in the form of a voice that her Servant claims to hear in his head. It was insane, her Servant could be insane, but she decided to rely on them for now. Her reason being the determined eyes she saw from her Servant. Eyes that told her that everything will turn out okay.

Remembering the warm sensation that covered her cheeks, she shook her head and decided to let sleep take over.

It was then Rin learned how her Servant felt. That night, in her dreams, she caught glimpses of her Servant's memories. Exactly as how he had described them, they were blurry, nearly impossible to make out. Not only that, they were merely fragments of his memories.

A young boy with blue hair taking a walk in the park. He was accompanied by two adults, a man and a woman, who each held one of the boy's hands.

A young boy with blue hair standing in front a funeral arrangement with two photos, a man and a woman's.

A young boy with blue hair, all alone, going home after school.

A young boy with blue hair, still all alone, walking to a different home after school.

A young boy with blue hair, still all alone, walking to another different home after school.

A teenage boy with blue hair listened as he was told by another young boy to sign his name on a contract that lay on a desk.

A teenage boy with blue hair, holding a gun in his right hand, standing firm as a large black mass with several hands made its way towards him. It held a large blue mask on one hand, several others held swords, and the rest were used for mobility.

Rin dreamt about several others, but only one of those memories would she be able to remember when she wakes up. A full moon on an eerie green sky accompanied by the sound of bullets firing and a monstrous roar.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

A few hours have passed since Rin went to bed. By this time, Makoto had already read two books, and was already half-way through his third one. He could have been starting on his fourth book, if not for the incessant whining and moans of boredom courtesy of Harbinger. They were a mild nuisance at first, but after the first three hours, it was getting really annoying. Harbinger knew this and simply persisted. Makoto was able to block out most of Harbinger's ramblings, but he could only do so much, especially when they were coming from the voice in his head.

Salvation for Harbinger came in the form of a chime from the grandfather clock. It was 7 o'clock. Makoto felt like making some breakfast. Although, he didn't feel all that hungry being a Servant and all, something from the back of his head urged him to do so anyway. Besides, it made him feel normal despite the circumstances.

The young Servant closed the book he was reading, placed it on the coffee table, and started his search for the kitchen. It didn't take long for him to find his intended destination.

The kitchen was elegant, as expected from such a large western house, but that was all he wanted to say about for now. He didn't want to pay too much attention on its intricate design. He was in a kitchen, he wanted to eat, it doesn't take a genius to know what he should be doing next.

Makoto walked up to the refrigerator. This was the object he should be paying attention to, its size especially. It was this that would determine how much he could prepare, and the number of possibilities there are. Placing his hands on the refrigerator door, he opened it and sighed. As expected, it was moderately stocked for a person who was living alone, let alone a female. Honestly, he can't comprehend how most women can eat so little to start the day.

Letting his feeling of disappointment subside, Makoto took a couple of eggs, some butter, and some oranges. He promptly closed the refrigerator door and placed the ingredients on the kitchen counter. Makoto then proceeded to look through the cupboards to look for a plate, a pan, a spatula and a glass, noticing the bread box on the opposite side of the counter in doing so. After finding what he was looking for, he went to the kitchen sink to clean and dry them. Placing the items on the counter with the ingredients, he reached for the bread box from earlier and took two slices of bread. Making sure the bread was still fresh and free of mold, he placed them on the plate.

[Uhh ... that doesn't seem to be the normal amount of food you usually eat every morning]

'It's not for me'

[Ooh ... making a move on the fair maiden already, are we?]

Makoto mentally sweatdropped and replied 'No'

[That was a quick reply]

Wooing his Master was not the young Servant's intention. When Rin left him alone, he sensed Rin retreating to what he assumed to be her bedroom. But while he was reading, apart from the noise Harbinger was making, he noticed that the house have been quiet the entire time. It meant that Rin has not left her room yet, and was probably still asleep. He wasn't sure when school will start, but he could vaguely remember that most high schools start at around eight in the morning. If she was still asleep, Makoto doubted she would have enough time to get ready for school, prepare and eat breakfast, and make it on time before the first bell. Considering how late she was up last night, and finals being around the corner, skipping breakfast is not an option, no matter how simple it is.

[Well ... If that's the case, then why didn't you just wake her up?]

Apparently, Harbinger isn't willing to let the matter slide anytime soon. It was probably his idea of revenge, which doesn't seem to be working on the blue-haired boy.

If Makoto had to answer Harbinger's question, then it was probably because it felt natural for him to do so. One of the memories he recalled was waking up every morning to make breakfast. It eventually lead to making breakfast for seven people and a dog, before the kitchen was taken over by an eighth person. He doesn't recall minding it too much, but then again he could barely remember anything.

Putting his thoughts aside for the time being, Makoto proceeded to make breakfast.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

"Well, that's what you get for invading a girl's bedroom" Rin exclaimed, as her Servant lead her to the dining room.

Said Servant didn't make any effort to retort and simply sighed and lead the way. He had explained his intentions to, but true enough, he should know better than to invade a woman's private chambers. He had considered such a scenario would play out when a sense of deja vu washed over him. However, the feeling was disregarded due to a sense or urgency. It was already 7:20 in the morning when he finished making breakfast and he had yet to sense Rin make any effort in waking up from her slumber.

- A few minutes ago -

After making his way from the kitchen to what he assumed to be Rin's bedroom, Makoto lightly rapped on the door and called out to his Master. When there was no response, grabbed the doorknob and twisted. Luckily, it was unlocked. Makoto slowly opened the door and announced his entry. Again, receiving no response, the young man peaked his head and quickly surveyed the room. Like the rest of the house, the room was also of western design, but Makoto decided not to waste any time to marvel at its elegance. The feeling of deja vu washed over him once again, and alarm bells started ringing in his head. Harbinger's ill attempt to stifle his snickering were also definite signs to be cautious.

[Ooh! This is going to be good!]

Makoto remained silent and quietly walked over to the sleeping figure on the bed. True enough, Rin was still sleeping soundly. The boy wanted to get it over with so he reached for Rin's shoulder and gently shook it.

"Tohsaka-san! Wake up, it's morning" the boy whispered.

There was no response. The boy repeated the gesture and leaned closer. At this Rin started to stir, but still didn't wake up.

"Tohsaka-san! You'll be late for school if you don't wake up" the boy whispered once again.

Rin's face scrunched up a bit and quietly mumbled something incomprehensible.

Leaning closer still, Makoto shook the young magus' shoulder and whispered again."Tohsa-" the young boy was interrupted by a left hook that met his right eye, making him stumble back a few steps.

He had leaned too close, too focused in achieving his task, that he was unable to evade the incoming fist in time. Luckily, as a Servant, his body had become more durable than the average human. Had he been a normal teenager, he would be sporting a black eye in a matter of minutes, though with how his hair is styled, he could still cover it up.

[HAHAHA! I was expecting to see something else, but I'm fine with this.]

Harbinger's laugh made him remember something else, or rather the reason why alarm bells started going off in his head. He could vaguely recall the same thing happening in his previous life. It also happened right after making breakfast for the people who recalls to be his friends. He also remembered a baseball hat wearing young man laughing his head off when said young man rushed to investigate the sudden commotion. Deja vu indeed.

"OUCH! WHAT THE?! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!" Rin exclaimed, trying to ease the sudden rush of pain of her left hand while sporting a glare at her Servant.

Before Makoto could reply, he was met with a pillow to his face.

"I DON'T CARE! GET OUT! NOW!" Rin yelled at the top of her lungs.

Without any further delay, the blue-haired boy quickly exited the room after evading another incoming pillow.

- Present -

[Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha!]

After being accompanied by the awkward silence, sound of their footsteps on the wooden floor, and the incessant laughter of Harbinger in his mind, Makoto and his Master finally made their way to the dining room. Rin was greeted by something delightful. It was her breakfast which consisted of two eggs-in-a-basket and a glass of orange juice.

"It was all I could make in such short notice" said the young Servant.

"Hmph!" Rin huffed, took a seat, and placed her school bag next to the her chair, still a bit upset at the boy's sudden intrusion in her privacy.

The boy said no more and stood at the end of the dining, just in case his Master needed anything else.

Rin looked at her morning meal. The meal was simple, but the presentation made it appealing and classy. She only hoped it tasted good as it looked. After taking her first bite, she found herself taking one after another, but kept her composure. The young magus didn't want her Servant to think that making her a delicious breakfast would get him off the hook.

"You made this?" Rin asked, picking up the second toast.

Makoto simply nodded.

The young woman simply continued with her meal, and didn't utter another word.

While the dining room remained quiet, another brief exchange was taking place inside Makoto's mind.

[Wow! Rin-chan can be such a tsundere!]

'What do you mean?'

[You don't know? She's like the icon for the stereotypical tsundere. Moody]

Makoto mentally shook his head at Harbinger's foolishness.

[I bet you just won some love points there. Good job!]

Makoto sighed as he rubbed off a tingling feeling on his collar bone.

[I gotta say. She looks rather lovely. The twin-tails, the stockings, the school uniform, although I like the skirt she was wearing last night better.]

...

[Yeah, it's a shame to hide those shapely legs.]

...

[Then again, surprises only get better the more you hide them.]

...

[By the way, you should have waken her up with a kiss.]

...

[Ah, the fair maiden waking up from the gentle touch from where the prince's lips met her's.]

...

[Sure! You might have gotten more than just a right hook, but hey I think it's worth it.]

Makoto facepalmed and closed his eyes in exasperation.

"Hey! Yuki-san! What are you doing?" a voice interrupted.

"Huh?", the young Servant muttered. Realizing that the young magus was referring to him, he waved her off and assured her. "Nothing, it's just that Harbinger's becoming quite a handful."

It seems that Rin had already finished her meal when she noticed her Servant has been very quiet. Not that it was different from how he usually acted from what little time they've known each other. She wanted to ask her Servant about the dream she had last night. Unfortunately, she had a hard time trying to remember what it was about, which was why she remained silent throughout the meal after she asked if he had made it. And the more she thought about it the fuzzier the memory got.

The only thing she could remember about the dream was like a preview for a horror flick. The eerie atmosphere, guns blazing, and finally, that infernal roar. The sound chilled her to the bone. Despite it being a dream, she could clearly still remember murderous intent it emitted. If she had a chance to describe it, it would be that it was something that should not exist in this world.

Her train of thought was interrupted when her Servant facepalmed so loud it sound echoed throughout the quiet dining room. It actually caught her by surprise. After her Servant reassured her that it was nothing serious, just some internal conflict with the voice in his head, Rin gave her Servant a skeptical look and sighed. She pickup her school and her way to exit the dining room.

[Wow ... that's just cold]

Ignoring Harbinger's comment once again, Makoto remained silent and followed suit. He followed her all the way to the entrance before Rin stopped.

"I'll be leaving for school now. Since I'm currently pressed for time, I'm going to make this brief." Rin addressed her Servant in a strict voice.

Unperturbed by her tone, he nodded and listened.

After making sure her Servant was listening and being attentive, she continued. "I want you to stay here. While I'm gone, I want you to gather as much information as you can from Harbinger. If it helps regain your memories, that's good. If not, then pass the information to me when I get back. Be sure to focus more on what made you qualify to be a Servant. Heroic Spirit or not."

"Yes, Tohsaka-san. Goodbye" the Servant replied accompanied by a bow.

"Alright then, goodbye," Rin replied and left.

[No ... that was REALLY cold.]

Still trying to better tune out Harbinger's voice, Makoto was about to go back to dining room and clean-up when he heard the front open once again. It was Rin again.

"By the way, thank you for breakfast" she paused while maintain her composure, but trying to avoid eye contact. "It was really good." After the quick compliment she gave her Servant about his culinary skills, she quickly closed the door and proceeded to leave for school.

Makoto blinked. He blinked once again. If he could see Harbinger's face, he would be grinning right now.

[I knew it! I was right on the money.]

'About what?'

[About her being a tsundere, of course.]

Makoto lightly shook his head at this, but couldn't help giving a small grin himself.

Crash!

Thou art I ... And I am thou ...

Thou hast established a new bond and awakened an earlier one

With the blessing of the Lovers Arcana,

Thou hast come closer to thy answer to a new journey

After hearing the mysterious voice ring in his head, another stream of memories flowed into his mind. And like last time, they were mostly vague, and very few seemed familiar. One memory, however, seemed to clarify the sense of nostalgia in today's events.

"At least it didn't hurt as much as last time" Makoto said to no one in particular and retreated back to the dining room to clean up.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

A little after an hour has passed since Rin left for school for a day's worth of lectures for the upcoming final exams. Makoto is sitting at the dining room table. He had just finished his breakfast. He would have made more food, but he'd rather not get in Rin's bad side by easting all her food. He was currently consulting Harbinger about his previous life. Although he decided to put off the question last night, he decided to ask about the things he's remembered so far and the other three voices he heard other than Harbinger's

[The other voices you've been hearing, as may have already noticed, are indications that you're memories are slowly returning. But that's only half of it. It's main purpose served as an indication that you're power is growing, and in your current condition, returning.]

'The voices spoke of blessings from the Fool, Lovers, and Death.'

[Perceptive! Each voice represent an Arcana. Each Arcana represents a Social Link. These are your emotional ties to others. The stronger your social link, the more powerful you become.]

Makoto thought about what Harbinger said. The closer he is to a person, the stronger he will become. If he desired something that his power could not give him, did it mean that he sought friendship for the sake of power in his previous life? It was selfish, but not impossible.

'What is my power?'

[The power to face great hardships and adversity. Very few people are able to wield such power. But you are a special case. Your abilities infinitely surpasses those with the power.]

'And yet with that all power, I'm here wishing for something I can't even remember'

[Well, you were only human Makoto. It's not strange to have regrets and desires.]

'...'

[As to your concern about the growth of your power, I cannot say what your reason is]

'...'

[If you ask me, you should think about why you wanted power.]

Makoto thought about this. Did he want power for the sake of power, or is it to protect those important to him? Throughout history, wars are often started with one of these reasons. Unfortunately, he can't remember what his reason was.

'How do I use it?'

[Sadly, you are not properly equipped to use it right now. In your previous life, you and your comrades used a certain tool to use your power.]

'So I'm powerless?'

[Not quite. I seem to remember others being able to use their powers without them.]

'Do you know how then?'

[Nope!]

'...'

[I only know the concept, but not how to use it personally.]

'Why is that?'

[The nature of our power is different. Don't worry! The key for both methods are the same. You just need to grasp it yourself.]

'Alright, so what's the key?'

[Just to give you an idea, it's fear and self-preservation. It's something someone like me cannot understand.]

'...'

[Any other questions?]

'My being here. There must have been reason. Enough reason to offer my soul to the Grail'

[Well, it's something you're gonna have to figure out yourself. If you don't have the memories to justify the truth, what's keeps me from telling you a lie?]

'You've answering my questions all this time. What would lying to me now accomplish?'

[It was a single lie that lead to your death in the first place. And not just yours]

Makoto could feel some weight in those words. The upbeat personality Harbinger usually expressed was not present when he said them. He needed the truth, but did he really want to know? If there was any truth in Harbinger's words, then that meant not only did it get him killed, but other's as well.

Knowing that his words caused Makoto some distress, Harbinger decided to end the conversation in usual manner of speaking.

[I'm bored with answering questions. Let's do something else.]

Makoto agreed. He had been given a lot to think about and plenty of time to do it. If he can't figure anything out, maybe Rin could. Although his power is still unknown to him, there is still a possibility that it is a form of magecraft. And right now, Rin is the only magus he knows.

Deciding to take a break from his thoughts about his past, He stood up from his seat and made his way to the living room.

[Wait wait wait! You're not thinking of reading again are you?]

Makoto didn't reply, and simply made his way to the living room where he left the book he was previously reading.

[B-because like I said, there are so many interesting things to do than read.]

'Is it about girls again?'

[Yes?]

The young Servant didn't say another word, but started to walk in longer strides. The tingling feeling on his collar bone came back, which he simply rubbed off like last time.

[Or that! We can talk about that!]

'What are you talking about?'

[That thing you're doing right now!]

'Talking to you?'

[No! That thing with your collar bone]

'What about it?'

[Have you noticed that you've been doing it a lot when you're alone?]

Makoto didn't really pay no mind to the strange habit. He didn't know where Harbinger was going with this, but decided to listen anyway.

[I bet your ears are feeling strange too]

'Now that you mention it ...'

[If you wanna fix that, then let's get going!]

'Where?'

[Out, of course!]

'Tohsaka-san said to wait for her until she gets back'

[She also said to get as much information as you can from me. This is one of those pieces of information. Expressing them with the use of words is not enough. They're felt and experienced. Besides, it'll be an adventure.]

The young Servant was still unsure of what to do. Staying here won't accomplish much, and he'd rather take a break from learning about his past from Harbinger. Going out could also be dangerous. As a Servant, both Masters and Servants could sense his true nature. if he had been a proper Servant to begin with, he would be in his spiritual form and accompanying Rin right now.

[Don't worry about that! Unless it's someone who knew me personally, no one will suspect a thing. I can make you seem like any regular teenager.]

Makoto still had mixed feelings about the idea, but maybe he can find something to trigger his memories. Finally relenting, he agreed and made a beeline to the front door.

'Fine. We're going. It's the only other way I can think about in restoring my memories'

[Woohoo! Alright, let's get going]

After making his way to the front entrance, Makoto opened the door and prepared to face the outside world.

A/N This is my first fanfic. The idea came from Persona: The turning of Fate by Windraider. The first draft I made was slightly different. It didn't turn out the way I wanted, and nearly gave up. Inspiration to retry came from The Error by KingofZeroX. Updates will be very erratic since my knowledge leans more on the Persona series than the Fate series, but I plan to remedy that. Also, I practically had to wring out my brain to make it how it is today, so yeah erratic updates and may not be as long as this one. That is all!