The Once and Future King

About a mile from the Tohsaka Mansion, Blue Saber waited on top of a rooftop in a fairly residential, quiet part of Miyama. Though she kept her armor on, her sword was sheathed.

She awaited the other Saber's arrival anxiously. The Knight of Rebellion, who was her child... and her killer. Though she didn't see herself as their mother, they were still a Knight of the Round Table. Whatever her feelings, she would at least let them speak. Whether or not it would come to blows remained to be seen.

Saber Red came into view, shifting their form to the physical. Artoria's face tugged at their heart, and it made them think... If they couldn't be vulnerable now, then when? The War called for action, for bravery, but being strong all the time could break any soldier, even a leader.

"Fath -" They stopped short and glanced away. After a breath, they faced her again. "Artoria... My liege. I'd like to invite you to the Mansion, as my guest. I can promise you won't be harmed by any of our number. I can understand why you hesitate, but I want to-" They shifted on their feet, the blush on their cheeks almost audible. The volume of their voice had dropped, and they tapped their fingertips together shyly.

"I want to be a proper host, and extend my... Feelings."

Artoria wasn't sure how to react at first. She looked away uncertainly, but composed herself and faced her directly again. "Sir Mordred. I believe your words, but I don't know or trust your companions yet. I feel more comfortable here." She narrowed her eyes slightly, but not in a threatening way. "What are your motivations? You'll understand if I am wary, considering the last time we saw each other. On the hill at Camlann."

"Yes... I remember." With a wave, Mordred's armor disappeared, replaced by a white shirt, shorts, and a red jacket. For the first time, their face was unobstructed - the spitting image of the King herself. They walked over to the edge of the roof and leaned against the barrier, looking out over Fuyuki.

"That day, I thought I had something to prove - something to win. Something to take by blood. I loved you and I... I hated you." Their gaze shifted down to the streets below.

"I was raised to hate you. Raised to think you'd never see me as what I was born to be. I was never allowed to... To see you as a father, but at the same time I wanted you to be proud of me, to see me as..." Their voice became choked, and they pressed their hands over their eyes, shoulders drawn in tight.

"I was tearing myself apart to be the Knight of Rebellion, to be the King. To take your throne. To make everyone see what I could be. But now... I just want to be someone worthy of pride, someone who can make things right. I serve a kind and noble Master; now I just want to be a good son or-" They sighed, taking a minute to regain their composure. Mordred walked back to Artoria, serious and sincere.

"The people I work with, some of them were in the last War. They have researched much, and I've even seen the fruits of it with my own eyes. The Greater Grail is corrupted. The wishes of Masters will be perverted, and the wishes of we Servants never mattered. That has been a lie from the beginning. I'll never get the chance to test my worth with Excalibur. I have to cast that aside and follow my own heart, the heart of a Servant and a Knight of the Round Table. I want to be someone you can trust. I want to start over - to be your friend and ally. I give myself to your mercy again, my King." Mordred lowered themself onto one knee, head bowed.

Artoria was overwhelmed. Was this the same Mordred that threw Britain into such turmoil? Was this some kind of trick? No, Mordred was rebellious, but no trickster. Her conflicting feelings only made Artoria more frustrated.

"How can you say that? How can you say that after everything you did? As a member of the Round Table, I did trust you. But you betrayed that trust. You tore Britain apart! If you expect me to just forgive you..."

Her cheeks grew flushed as she struggled with Mordred's declaration. She just didn't know what to say.

"That Britain may be gone, but I am still its King. The needs of my country come before my personal relationships. I only wanted to help my people. And... I failed."

"I know that it will take time to regain your trust, but - Please believe me! The deal you struck was forfeit from the beginning! Unless you are truly a special case, Britannia as we know it is gone. Our..." Their voice wavered again, tears welling in their eyes.

"Our home is gone. I take the blame. There's a new realm flourishing in its place, and our people, your people are long in the past. I can prove everything, if you give me the chance. Lady Tosaka comes from a long-running mage family and holds secrets originating from the founding of the War."

"I know I'm a rebel, but I'm not a liar. I have no reason to be, not this time. I had nothing to gain from seeing you die the first time, and that goes without question for a possible second time. I don't want to fail you and the memory of Britain again."

Artoria gritted her teeth and averted her eyes. "You say the Grail is corrupt... I... Are you saying this War is for nothing? That we were summoned for nothing?"

By now, Mordred was slumped sitting cross-legged on the roof. "We're summoned for the Masters. Paracelsus said we're tools, weapons, a means to an end, and Lady Tosaka said he was right. Our Masters fight to reach the Grail, sacrificing us Servants on the way to help it reach its full potential." They raised their head, eyes wide.

"The Masters aren't the ones to blame, though! Very few know that themselves! Mine didn't, and I bet yours doesn't know either. Only the founding families know the whole history of the War. But... It's true. Where we're concerned, it's for nothing." They looked down at their hands folded in their lap, quiet.

"Y'know, when you think of that... I don't blame you for still seeing me as an enemy, if the Britannia we knew is lost forever. Brittania, Anglica, now England still lives as a new and exciting place, but you can't save the past."

Artoria sat down as well, looking winded at the revelations. She was silent for several moments.

"I don't know how easily I can forgive you. But you also don't deserve all of the blame. The people were dissatisfied. I let my country fall apart."

She paused and looked over at Mordred, looking awkward. "For the longest time, I had no idea who you really were. I've never thought of myself as a... father. I don't know if I'm suited to it."

"I suppose there's nothing I can do about the past this time around. So... the question is, what do we do now?"

Mordred held their tongue - they knew full well how easily it was to nurture the rebellion, and why the people were dissatisfied, but they said themselves it was in the past. Their quick mouth wasn't going to help the situation.

"We look forward. We fix what we can, and try to follow and serve honorable people. I've seen from the veteran Servants that we don't have to follow a concrete destiny - there's no throne, no crown, no weight on our shoulders. The only Excalibur here now is yours." Their eyebrows raised, and Clarent shimmered into their hand, their cheeks pink.

"Um... I'm sorry I stole this... Its true potential is held back because it was stolen, so... Should I give it back, you think? But if I do, then I'll be unarmed..." Mordred looked it over, turning the blade in their hand with a slight frown.

Artoria shook her head. "You should stay armed. I don't necessarily want to be your enemy right now, but we still on opposing teams. I don't know how the rest of team would want to treat you."

"We could fix that!"

Artoria jumped as Manaka appeared from behind her. "Manaka? I asked you to remain behind."

Manaka smiled innocently. "Heehee! Did you forget who the Master is here?" She then smiled at Mordred. "So you wanna get along with your daddy, right? Of course, Saber is the best! There is a simple option for that. You can join our side!"

Manaka's smile was pure and angelic, with not even the slightest hint of ill intent. To Mordred, the girl was strangely charming.

Mordred jumped back, their armor snapping around them. "O-Of course I do... But my allies, they're trying to fix the Grail..." The child seemed so sweet, and to be able to summon the legendary King Arthur, wouldn't they have to be pure of intent..? But the mission, and Avalon... This was the girl that had attacked Astolfo so easily...

At that moment, Atalanta came bounding onto the rooftop, "We need to go," she stated to her team mate.

"I bet we could do that too!" Manaka answered readily. "I'm powerful enough to do just about anything! Either way, only one team is gonna get to use the Grail, and we're definitely the stronger team!"

"Manaka, please." Artoria cut in. "Please go back to the theater." Then another Servant was here, and Excalibur snapped out of its sheath. It didn't appear that she was here to fight, though, so she refrained from attacking.

"Strength isn't the iss-" The Saber started with surprise, whirling towards Atalanta. "Archer? Go? Why? What's happening?"

"Their team is about to attack." her tone was flat as she glared at the little girl.

Saber swore while kicking their foot into the rooftop. "Let's go! I'm sorry Father, but I'd like to meet again! Take care!" They turned to follow Atalanta, ready to spring into action.

As they left, Atalanta looked back at the opposing Saber with a slight frown. Once she had hopped a couple of rooftops away, she turned, took a knee, and fired her bow into the heavens, aiming for the young master. 

Kittenboxxing carried out 1 launched of one (CLASH.) :

  Kittenboxxing carried out 1 launched of one (CLASH.) :

  Kittenboxxing carried out 1 launched of one (CLASH.) :

  Kittenboxxing carried out 1 launched of one (CLASH.) :

  Kittenboxxing carried out 1 launched of one (CLASH.) :

Saber gasped with horror. "ARCHER! What are you doing!!"

"H-Hold on a moment!" Saber stepped aside to intercept the arrows.

Manaka frowned. "You're no fun."

She took a deep breath and held her nose for comedic effect, then slipped down through the roof as though it were a pool of water. Even Artoria looked back in surprise; she no longer even sensed her Master nearby.

Atalanta ended her noble phantasm, put her bow away, and appraoched Saber, " I don't know what you have been discussing until now, but I did hear what my ally called you. I understand the bond of family, and I sense...a great sense of nobility from you. For this reason, I beg you, come back with us. Or in the very least, consider such a thing. Your master is young, but not only is she dishonourable, she is tainted. I think it's clear from what just occured that she will not have your best interests at heart. Nor anyones. And if she gets ahold of the grail, your kingdom and the rest of the world will not fare well. If you can get rid of her, we have a master for you. Otherwise, I have no quarrel. You may go."

Artoria frowned. Though there was indeed something disturbing about her Master, she still had an obligation to protect her. "I can't simply abandon my Master... but neither do I wish to be your enemy. If what you say is true, that the Grail truly is tainted, I hope you can consider me an ally in putting an end to whatever evil infests it."

"I've told my allies to hold off their attack until I return. Once they know the truth about the Grail, we may be able to reach a compromise."

As she finished, the ground under them began to tremble a little. Artoria looked confused, looking back toward the theater, from which a powerful mana surge was beginning to emanate.

Atalanta sighed and hurried back to the mansion, Mordred in tow.

A swirl of golden mana was rising up from around the edges of the structure, into the sky. It swirled together, then suddenly exploded out to form a massive golden structure.

Mesektet

The Solar Ship of the Dark Night

The ship was easily the size of a modern airliner, casting a huge shadow over Saber and a large portion of Miyama. It started moving toward the mansion at high speed, causing Artoria to blanch.

"I told you to wait! Rider... You bastard!"