Fire, Ice, and the Kraken (Fate X ASOIAF, Jalter quest)

Hard, red sand surrounds the face of a prone knight as the scorching sun heats the black armour, sizzling the woman underneath it. Her golden eyes open gradually, slowly waking up after a deep slumber. Saber's senses return to her, prompting the King of Knights to clench her fists in curiosity, wondering what led to her newly revitalized state. Her calculating gaze is set upon the sight of endless desert, full of dunes that rise up and down. It is a sea of sand obscured by a haze of heat.

The memories come without prompt nor warning, the sight of a grand temple in the sky assault her mind. They are unbidden memories, memories The Black Knight did not realize she had. The haze increases in intensity as the desert morphs into that accursed temple.

She remembers so vividly now, of that faraway throne that dwarfs her own, and the Demon Gods that littered the world.

The searing blast misses mear inches away from Saber as it leaves a trail of devastation, breaking the Servant formation. Waver retreats to recover as Medea Lily heals Saber and Nero's wounds.

"That damn cunni!" The Roman Empress exclaims, her hand now crisp and charred by the heat. The arm slowly regains its vitality as Medea's healing skill goes into effect. "Charring my flawless skin! My beauty is sacred I have you know! Not for the likes of you verpa to despoil."

Saber breathes a sigh of exasperation, how typical of that Empress to have such skewed priorities.

The Ex-king chances a quick look back at that far away throne, wondering what's taking her master so long. Another blast from the pillar comes forth and both frontline servants deftly dodge it. Medea, on the other hand, holds her staff with trembling arms, before gaining back her composure. The blast had nearly reached Medea's position, and the poor child was almost knocked out cold by the shock. The Caster repositions herself as both Saber servants ready themselves for another charge.

Nero goes first, fully healed and ready to exact revenge with Aestus Estus on hand. She slashes at the tentacle, cleansing the abomination.

Saber, the true Saber that is, powers up another blast from Excalibur, now revitalized by Medea's ministrations. Now fully charged and with the Demon God's full attention on Nero, Saber raises her sword to obliterate the oversized tentacle. But it was not to be. Their plans were shattered by that hole in the sky.

Ars Almadel Salomonis
The Mage King's noble phantasm, one that could incinerate the world. Every servant was briefed of Solomon's true plan, and how he'll go about burning humanity, which meant that time was against Chaldea since they started this fight. For the Mage King's noble phantasm to activate now could mean only one thing. Ritsuka, Mash, and Merlin...they were too late, the Grand Order is finished. Saber's last memories was of that blinding light and the Time Temple's destruction. She saw two lone figures enveloped by the light, still standing, still defiant, hiding behind a shield to the noble phantasm to end all noble phantasms. The sight of it brings forth a chuckle out of the cold King. Even in her final moments, Galahad's successor, Kyrelight, would protect her master to the bitter end, no matter what. Saber meets oblivion with grudging acceptance, waiting for her body to dissipate into dust.

Only...she didn't disappear, didn't she? Saber sits on the scorching sand in contemplation, tapping her foot as the gears within her apathetic mind begin to turn.

She didn't remember turning into dust, that would've meant that she would be at the Throne of Heroes at this very moment, not some red wasteland of a desert. Though, could this be the Throne of Heroes? Turned to a wasteland after Solomon's grand plan... hmph, nonsense. No, the former King concludes, she remembers falling, she doesn't remember for long, but the former King definitely knows she was falling rather than dissipate into dust.

Could that mean she was transported somehow, either intentionally or not? Maybe she fell out of the singularity and was led to this world by way of Imaginary Numbers Space? No... that too wouldn't make sense, Saber realizes that she's just grasping at straws now, ignorant of the cause that brought her here.

Unsatisfied with this lack of knowledge, Saber thought that she might as well start exploring now. Feeling the wind graze her right cheek, the Black Knight turns left and proceeds to walk, following the direction of the wind.

She ignores the malicious whispers that take root at the corners of her mind. The voices jeer at her and strike at the impenetrable wall that is her composure. "Weak", the whispers call her, "weak and a failure. Humanity's gone, dead. You have nothing left, you empty, hollow, shadow. Why persist? You've already reached the end, and this is your reward. Why do you investigate how you got here? To keep your mind off what happened in that temple? Face it, don't shirk away from it.". Saber's impeccable control of herself keeps these self-destructive thoughts at bay, knowing these voices to be wrong in every way.

...

The howling gales accompany the King's dark thoughts as she observes the twinkling stars of an alien sky, filled with constellations that she's never seen before. The night has come, and so has the cold winds of the desert.

It's been two days of walking, contemplating, thinking, while the endlessness of the desert erodes the King's will. Two days of being alone with her thoughts, the bad company they are, being the only thing interesting as opposed to the monotony of the desert.

It's been two days and she's gotten nowhere in investigating the gaps in her memory and the reason why she's able to exist here. There's must assuredly be a Grail here to maintain her existence, there just has to be. But where's the usual hole in the sky that is indicative of Solomon's tampering, where are the signs of servant activity?. Saber gives up, realizing she's just being impatient and escapes into reminiscence, the stars slowly moulding into a single image.

It was time for festivities in Chaldea. That warm place full of comradery and heart, coupled with equal amounts of grudge and conflict. Civility is only maintained here by the grudging acceptance to work with one another for a common goal, to save the world, which brushes aside all other goals. Yet even then, Chaldea was a place of comfort despite all the issues that come with having scores of heroic spirits living in the same building, a testament to the skills of Chaldea's master.

The timing for Christmas was perfect seeing that the Singularity in London had just finished and the servants all wanted a good cheer. It's a smart move on Ritsuka's and Roman's part, Solomon's appearance had shaken everyone, and this festivity would do wonders for everyone's stress.

The Black Knight herself wanted to spend it resting and enjoying Emiya's cooking in her room, being the glutton that she was. Her mind entirely focused on tasting that savoury taste of a hamburger, complemented by stacks of pancakes covered in maple syrup and whip cream, a kingly feast. She walks out in her casual clothes, passing by Okita hefting up a large wrapped gift box. Both sabers nod at each other, while the King restrains herself from staring at Okita. Saber never did get why so many heroic spirits look just like her, the fact unnerves in ways she never realized she could be.

The Tyrant enters the formerly bare and small dining area, now made massive by the increasing number of servants. The dining area has been refurbished to a point where it has become unrecognizable when compared to its previous look. The walls have been given a nice brownish wallpaper adorned with regal patterns, while the floor is littered with carpets. A chandelier hangs above the lounge area that overlooks the fireplace and next to it is a large pane of glass overlooking the Arctic mountains. There's a small stage by the fire with a grand piano and a mic placed on it, though it is left empty at the moment with the usual performers: Jeanne, Mozart, and Marie being quite busy with decorations.

Waver and Iskandar sits at a table by the Christmas tree, the latter boisterously going about...something... all that matters was that Iskandar was his boisterous, obnoxious self while Waver deals with it in exasperation. The Romans: Nero, Romulus, Ceaser, and Caligula sit by a grand circular table with Nero dramatically recalling the events of the previous singularity while the rest listened in rapt attention.

Saber walks past the Knights of Camelot seated by a roundtable of their own, ignoring the stares the Tyrant illicits from them. Lancelot observes Arturia's shadow with a tinge of guilt, while Mordred's eyes are captivated by the sight of her "father's" counterpart, feelings of fascination and fear clash in the mind of Morgan's "son". Arturia, her original self, acknowledges her with a nod, seemingly less troubled than the other knights. Saber alter nods back while proceeding towards Emiya's kitchen, used to those stares that ostracize her, for a hero must be strong enough to destroy their enemies, not to be loved, so she moves on, cold and uncaring.
They're the inferior ones so give them no thought. They are beneath you.
...

Saber nears the door to her room as she sees the sight of Chacha riding atop of Hijikata's shoulders whizz by. A surprise, The Tyrant didn't expect for that Demon Lieutenant to warm up to Chacha so quickly.

As their figures disappear into the distance, she could barely hear Chacha's shouts of, "Faster reindeer! We mustn't let Okita steal Auntie's heart!"

Followed by Hijikata's bellowing response, "I'll make sure the captain doesn't do any shameful acts while wearing the haori!".

Shrugging to herself, Saber enters her room while holding the tray. It was when the door to her immaculate room opens that she saw a sizeable mound on her bed, seems like someone's under the blankets.

With a sigh, Saber places the tray on her desk and proceeds to her bed, the smell of greasy meat and pancakes call to her like a siren's song, but she wouldn't be a King if she gave in to those temptations too easily. Her hand reaches for the blanket as the figure underneath trembles in fear. She pulls the sheet out fast as the intruder falls out of the bed in shock.

"Eek!" A childlike squeak erupts from a ball of white as it tumbles down and crashes onto the King's drawers, bringing forth a tsunami of clothing. Covered by Saber's collection of black jackets, jeans, and the occasional sweater, Jeanne Alter Lily rubs her forehead to expel her dizziness. Seeing the recently summoned Avenger's childlike form is something Saber thinks she will never get used to and vows to avoid Gilgamesh's youth potion at all times, lest she will endure the embarrassment Jeanne alter will have when she turns back to normal.

Saber speaks, her warning tone stills the air, "Intruding a king's domain can be punishable by death, child."

Foolishly disregarding the King's warning, Jeanne Alter Lily sticks her tongue out in defiance, " Whatever, stupid Queen, you're not even half as scary as Jackie, so don't even try."

"You playing Hide and Seek with her?" Saber inquires as a germ of an idea grows in her head.

"Yep, you know missy, your room is the perfect place to hide! It's near the end of the hallway, and the walk from Atalanta's place to here would've taken hours! I'd give you a gift for this spot if you weren't such a sourpuss."

Saber nods absently as she goes to the computer at the corner of her room. It took a while for Saber to get used to the intricacies of the machine. The Grail had not filled her head with instructions of its use, but once she got the hang of it, and it didn't take her long mind you, she found it a pleasant and versatile tool. One use of this "Computer" she realized, was the ability to contact a servant's communicator, a device made standard for every heroic spirit ever since the Orleans singularity. And it just so happens that the King had dialled up a certain ripper's phone number...

"Jack?" Saber asks, Jeanne Alter Lily's face becomes much paler than usual, "its Arturia Alter."

A childlike voice comes out of the computer, "Hai hai."

"Jeanne's here in my room, you can come and pick her up."

Both Jeanne and Jack let out a gasp, the former shocked while the latter is full of joyful, jubilant surprise.

"Coming!!"
"nonononoonottheknives!"

With a smirk Saber hangs up the call and crouches down to Jeanne, "You were defiant, and rebellion must be met with excessive force."

She trembles in fear, her eyes frantically searching for a place to hide. A futile act. "Don't you remember how many cuts I got the last time she found me!? You know she can't restrain herself when it comes to games!"

"Then I hope you've learned a valuable lesson, brat. If you intrude upon my domain without my say, the punishment would be worse by some magnitudes. And besides, I have a strong belief that our Head Nurse would patch up any wounds you gain from your games with Jack."

"Eeek! I don't want to see Nightingale again! She's scarier than Jack!"

"Too bad", Saber holds Jeanne by the scruff of her neck as she struggles to get out of her grip. But the child only has rank C strength and fails to free herself.

Jeanne realized that if she's can't get out of the Tyrant's grip physically, she'll just have to resort to threats and insults, "You're the meanest, ugliest, stupidest, Queen ever! When I come back to normal I'm burning you first! Then you're going to the Demon Nurse's room, and then she'll turn you to a scaredy-cat. Then I'll burn you again! Which means you're gonna have to come back to her again! Once I'm done with you, you'd be so scared you wouldn't leave your room!". How very threatening.

Walking out of the room with Jeanne in hand, the King's keen eyes spot the black dot of an approaching Jack the Ripper. Jeanne sees her too and redoubles her effort to free herself, her flailing and tirades gaining a second wind. Eventually, the girl gets her wish, but not in the way she wants, considering that she finds herself flying towards Jack all thanks to that Tyrant.

Jack's eyes follow the falling Jeanne and utter two words that fill the latter with a deep, deep fear. "Found you!"

Jeanne's agonizing scream was music to Arturia's ears as she munched on Emiya's delicious cooking.

And now there's a hole in your cold, dead heart that can never be filled...

...

Arturia spots the shining pyramid across the horizon, and this time it's intact. The first ruin she encountered had risen her hopes up of reaching an actual settlement, but the second had nearly dashed it. To see actual civilization rather than signs of it is a welcome change from the dullness of the desert, and now she can finally get somewhere with her investigation.

There's a group of buildings huddled around the grand pyramid, and a closer look shows her the small silhouettes of workers and soldiers. Thanking her luck, Saber increases her pace, speeding across the dunes and getting closer to the city.
Idiot
A fatal and stupid mistake, especially for one such as her, to rush into a town without careful observation. But her desire to see civilization had overruled her good sense and judgement, and the moment Arturia realized she had just stepped into some sort of quasi-reality marble the sphinxes had already surrounded her.

QM Note: Here's a sidestory that fleshes out Saber a bit more. Might write some more of it depending on the reception, or I might write her journey to Volantis anyway since she's such a fun character to play with. So here it is!

Again, any feedback on grammar, continuity and lore is greatly appreciated.

[X] Push her away, use all your might to push her away as far as you can and face the blast with Ephemeral Dream A.


You know you have the agility to outrun it, but not Saber. The Ex-King has to face the brunt of the blast, which can be manageable considering her A rank strength and Endurance. Hell, her legend has her survive Vortigern's flame for crying out loud, but you don't want to take your chances. This is an explosion powered by a Divine Spirit if your suspicions are correct, and Saber's stats might not matter at all against it.

You can push her out of the way, and face the brunt of the explosion with Ephemeral Dream A. You just have to hope there aren't any unique properties in that blast that could nullify your invincibility. Or you could carry Saber with you and hope she doesn't slow you down so much as to prevent the both of you from escaping the blast, though it might mitigate its damage. You wince, what to do…


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You never thought you'd do it, to make the sacrifice play, to take the hit for someone else. But here you are, hands holding onto Saber's arms, her wide yellow eyes look at you with surprise and incomprehension as you heave her away. Though to be fair, you've got a skill to make you invincible against all kinds of damage, a skill that comes from the very essence of your existence.

You're a ghost, no worse than that, you're a fictional character. A shadow of someone greater, and the only reason why you're still here is through your resolve and the alteration of your counterpart's wish. Every use of Ephemeral Dream A reminds you of that, and you're filled with the gnawing sense that sooner or late, you're going to have to wake up. That you would return to being a concept once gain. Your defiance against the order of the world, or at least the world you've originated from, is temporary. Sooner or later, you will become immaterial yet again, where beings like you belong. But that is neither here nor there, and you've got a king to hurl.
This life is but a dream, an ephemeral one. Your time here is short.

"Mad do--" Is all the words Saber could utter before she is launched out of the way. Crashing and going through several buildings, some of them fall, and some of them stand. You smirk to yourself, now we're even.

You turn your head back to brightening tome and try calculating if you could dash out in time too. During that split second of planning the book erupts into a furious, purple blast, with you right at the centre of it.

Well so much for dashing out, Ephemeral Dream A takes effect as you feel your body border between existence and non-existence. You let the purple blast wash over you, feeling the scorching heat envelop your body. You're invincible against it, the blast cannot hurt you now obviously, but that burning sensation is still there.

The world around you becomes saturated in bright purple. You're blinded by the light but can't bring yourself to close your eyes, it's just so captivating.

Eventually the light dissipates, and you momentarily see flashes of stars, nebulas, and galaxies. You're eyes widen as you take all of it in, transfixed on the images assaulting your mind. You don't understand what you're seeing, as the celestial bodies appear without order and reason. But one image sticks out from the rest despite seeing just a glimpse of it, a world with a white throne at its centre.

The Time Temple...

It's not really something you'd forget. Though why it would appear before you, as one of many other flashing images, you don't really know. Saber needs to know of this, and Lera too, once you've briefed her on your nature.

You feel a tug at your arm but you can't bring yourself to look back, unable to tear yourself away from the bright light. You feel a presence at the edge of your before something pulls you physically, making you fall on your butt as you escape the trance.

The visions disappear and all you see is the Tyrant looking down on you. Her eyes meet yours as her face remains impassive, unreadable. She brings out her hand towards you and you grasp it, bringing yourself up with Sabers help.

You glance around and realize the both of you are in a deep crater, with the flat unaffected ground located two heads above you. The area you're on shines a sickly purple, charred by the blast, it radiates with malevolent energy. With a nod Saber jumps out as you follow her. You notice that the many corpses from the previous battle have been disintegrated. Now, all that's left is just a crater, the only physical reminder of a fight taking place.

"What?" You say indignantly, "Not even a thank you?"

Saber looks back, " There was no need to save me, I've survived explosions ten times that size. But if you wanted to waste your prana then go-ahead."

"There was no way you would've known how strong the blast would be. What if it was one you couldn't handle? Better I take it than you do. "

"An explosion that could overpower my endurance and magical resistance is a rare thing. The chances are slim, and from what I've seen of this world, which is exponentially more than you have, it should not be possible. The natives here simply lack the capability for it, whether they are Qarthian warlocks or Red Priestesses, their magic cannot harm me no matter how esoteric they are."

This is beginning to test your already thin patience, what's her deal anyway? Is this from some kind of insecurity? That'd be really pathetic. Though what's more pathetic is her arrogance, so blindingly absolute and ironclad.

"Then how do you explain these cultists---You know what nevermind, it's a waste of breath trying to convince you. Hmph, as if I needed your gratitude, should've left you for dead. " you pinch your nose to ease your bubbling anger and keep it from rising to the surface. This isn't the time for a discussion like this, and you've got a city to clean up. Maybe later, but now, there is only one objective.

You breathe slowly in an effort to calm yourself. You speak after a pause, "I'm sure you would be very interested in the things I saw in that explosion."

Saber raises an eyebrow at your abrupt change of subject, "Do tell."

"I saw images of worlds different from our own. I didn't notice any subliminal messages, so I'm confident I was not brainwashed or something of the sort."

"The point, please."

"In one of the images I saw Solomon's throne, it was just a glimpse, but I'm sure of it. The sight of it isn't something I would forget that easily."

Saber's eyes widen momentarily before she looks up to the sky in contemplation. "This has worrisome implications, Jeanne. But it definitely adds credence to my suspicions. The whole revolt must be the work of a caster or a being with ties to our world, yet the reasons still elude me."

"All we know is that the leaders of these cultists are doing this to bring about" You speak mockingly and with air-quotes, ""the new dawn" or some nonsense like that. Which hints that whoever is behind them wants to uproot this world's order, it's just the specifics and the "who" that we're missing."

Saber nods, " Whichever the case, we need perspective, lest we keep flailing in the dark like this. Let's continue this discussion for another time, now we must go back to our camp and plan out our course of action."

"hm" You nod and follow Saber's lead back to camp.

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Both you and Saber return to an overcrowded camp with three regiments resting in it. You and Saber are accompanied by the remnants of Sallo's regiment, the rest killed by the cultists or executed by Saber when they told her of the squidmen. "Those men are liabilities." Saber would say, as she impaled them in hidden areas, out of sight, out of mind. The remaining few that are with you are ignorant of how their comrade's death and of the squidmen. Luckily, there's a slim chance of any civilian witnesses, to your relief. Many of the residents have either fled out before any squidmen were summoned, or were used as sacrifice.

Either way, the supernatural element of this revolt has been, for the most part, successfully covered up thanks to your actions and Saber's thoroughness.

The walk back to the central tent was arduous, the casualties, both wounded and dead, lay at the ground with teams of two to three men attending to them. Soldiers circulate around the camp, fulfilling their individual orders and obstructing your path from time to time.

You eventually reach the tent with Saber and enter while the remnants of Sallo's regiment wait outside. The room you enter is, for lack of a better word, messy. A large table at the center with the city's map on top of it is littered by scrolls and other pieces of paper, concealing the map. There are helmets, armour pieces, and even swords laying about on the ground accompanied by empty flasks. Overall, the tent is a step dirtier than the French tents you've been, certainly doesn't compare to Chaldea's pre-fabricated tents. You wonder how it compares to the tents of Arturia's armies though, is it a world of difference or not?...you shake those thoughts away as you focus on the residents of this command tent.

Vogys stands next to Adario as the latter appears to be lecturing the former, though you can't comprehend it since they're speaking in Valyrian. To your surprise you see Araquo sitting in the corner of the tent, balancing a knife on the tip of his fingers. He spots you, and you see a look of excitement and apprehension on his face. The feral man becomes more apprehensive when he sees Saber next to you, and straightens up, giving her a salute.

Both Adario and Vogys notices the two of you and gives off crisps salutes.

Adario is the first to speak, "Head Captain, it's good to see you. I trust that the Guild District has been rid of Cultists?"

"Yes. Their leader was stationed there too, he's dead now and the cultists have scattered, but I've gained some useful knowledge out of him. But first, report."

Araquo walks closer to the table at the centre of the tent and stops at the side nearest to you. Adario meanwhile looks at Vogys in exasperation.

Vogys sighs and proceeds to explain, "Fine, I'll start, bloody prick" Vogys composes himself before reporting, "The cancerous elements of this city--" Adario interrupts Vogys with a cough, making the latter sigh yet again. "The Rat Towne and Warren districts have been successfully pacified, but my forces have sustained massive casualties."

Araquo winces while Saber raises her eyebrow, Vogys continues, speaking more slowly and with a hint of embarrassment seeping into his tone "The residents were resistant to my...methods, and I was soon faced against not just the common thief, but organized mercenaries and the like. Even had some civilians join in to throw rocks at my men and me."

"Why is that so?" Saber asks. "Your mission was by far the easiest to accomplish. Simple enforcement of the law and the reassurance of security to the civilians would've sufficed. But instead, you were faced with escalation. What happened?"

"I..."

At this point it is a frustrated Adario and not Vogys that reports the situation in the impoverished districts. "I'll take it from here. Guard Captain Vogys didn't adhere to the objectives of his mission. Instead of keeping order in the streets, Vogys instead diverted his manpower to destroying the source of the criminals. His men ransacked taverns, gambling halls, and other sources of vice in an attempt to clean up the slums. The "owners" of such centers of vice were backed into a corner and took drastic measures. Thus the mercenaries, the civilians, however, took part due to the "thoroughness" of Vogys's clean-up operation."

"Define thoroughness" Saber commands.

"Execution of anyone with ties to criminal organizations without trial, the confiscation of properties, and general disruption. Thus, Vogys's forces were enveloped by angry mobs and organized sellswords. Luckily I was there to prevent his death."

"I see" Saber remarks as silence settles in. She looks towards Adario while Vogys tries to hide away from Saber's sights, instead her eyes locks on to his, making the man sweat. "I'll deal with you later. Now," Saber looks towards Adario, "What of the South Market? How were you able to support Vogys despite the revolt?"

"I realized you wanted to end this revolt quickly, so I called their leaders forth to parley, and being the desperate lot that they are, they came. We discussed terms, and I promised them their freedom, and soon enough I had them following me to Bridgeton to ratify our agreement. That's when I met Araquo's forces, and our numbers against the slaves begin to even out. Both our forces enveloped them and subsequently slaughtered the slaves to the man."

Saber nods, her face betraying no emotion, "Good, but I find it unfortunate that you have broken your word for such results. Enemies from now on will fight you with more tenacity, knowing you wouldn't keep a promise."

"Oath, word, promises. They have their uses, but to be wholly devoted to those ideals will only get me killed. Forgive me, but it had to be done, and besides, this stain can be easily covered up. Dishonour can be washed away with success after all, and the results speak for themselves. With the slaves at the South Market gone, I was able to save Vogys's regiment from annihilation. Which is a fate that I assume Sallo has met."

Saber nods, "You'd be correct. Our "fellow" guard captain fell in defense of this city. His body was burnt away by fanatics."

"What of his regiment?"

"Destroyed, the few that survived will be absorbed to your regiment, I expect you to retrain and discipline them."

Adario makes a sound of affirmation as Saber briefs the three captains of the situation at hand and a course of action. Thus, you and the other captains disperse to fulfil your missions, with you doing some search and rescue while the rest are responsible for the clean-up operation. Nothing much really happens, and you spend the remainder of the day killing stragglers and directing civilians to Bridgeton.

You come back to the camp after a successful mission and see a messenger bearing news. Saber beckons him to the command tent as she enters with the messenger in tow. Naturally, you follow them. "The city is secure," you hear the messenger say, "the enemy has been routed, they've been driven out of the city. All captains are to leave their second-in-command with their regiments and return to the palace to debrief."

And thus, you march out of Bridgeton with Saber and the other captains towards Volantis's seat of power.
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The grand palace looms ahead your procession of Officers and Captains, commoners in the land owned only by ancient noble blood. You look back to the black walls that sections off the aristocrats from the rabble of Volantis, thick two hundred feet high slabs of black stone stand tall in the city slaves. You've never had the time to appreciate the scale of this city, even the "grand" castles back in France are dwarfed by the height of this wall of ebony, manned by scores of archers and charioteers. Hell, even the fact that this city could maintain and field over ten thousand men as garrison still astounds you. You've seen bigger, of course, the Lion King's castle is measured in miles, but that was built by a god, what you see is created by men.

The towering gates to the palace open to allow you and your group entrance. You enter the esteemed "Hall of the Triarchs", though its less of a hall and more of an amphitheatre. There's a pit surrounded by steps meant for the magistrates and people of political import to sit on. On the northside of the pit is a platform with three seats of equal height, while the southside is mainly a flat path leading towards the pit. A select few captains, including Arturia and Adario, enter from the south side of the pit with the Triarchs seated overhead, looking down from their platform. The chairs the three are on is so high that their feet are not even close to the ground.

You and the rest of the captains are redirected to the main dining hall instead. You ponder on the fact that only a select few captains have the ear of the Triarchs to debrief to, which indicates some sort of hierarchy among the guard captains. This is new, you had thought that every captain had equal authority save for the head captain who is a "first among equals." You shrug, just something to look deeper into for later.

You observe the dining hall around you, noting the high ceilings and the paintings it adorns. There are many pillars fashioned to look like men carrying said pillars, they are white and made of marble. The west side of the dining hall is filled with depictions of the city's history, with one notable thing you see is the image of a tiger approaching a dark, malevolent fog. The east side of the hall has tall and imposing doors that are open and leads to the gardens. You spot the setting sun while you're looking through those doors.

You see the tables slowly getting filled in by the guard captains, and you notice some distinct groups among the captains. The general mood of the captains are celebratory though with a tinge of suspicion and unease.

There are three tables before you, one is filled by Vogys and that fool from before, Vogoros. The two are accompanied by some stoic-looking men and are having a polite and formal chat, though you do notice a tenseness within Vogoros. The other table is occupied by Araquo and some other captains with the same attire and demeanour as he, rowdy and vulgar. The final table hosts that barrel-chested man from before, what was his name again? Vera? Varar? Anyways, the rather tall man seems to be having a lively conversation with some other captains who are noticeably shorter than him.

Which table do you go to?
[] Vogys and Vogoros's
[] Araquo's
[] Varar's
[] Alone
--[] On an empty table
---[] Wait for Saber to finish
---[] Explore
---[] Remember the events leading to your summoning here.
---[] Write-in...
--[] In the courtyard
---[] Wait for Saber to finish
---[] Explore
---[] Remember the events leading to your summoning here.
---[] Write-in...

If an occupied table is chosen do you contribute to the conversation?
[] No, you'll generally stay quiet, though how you'll respond to whatever comments or questions thrown at you will be determined later
[] Yes
--[] Questions to ask? (I.E Is the city truly in order? How was the revolt? You think there's something shady with this whole gathering?)
--[] Comments or something to say to any of the tablemates?
--[] Write in...


QM Note: Again, feedback is appreciated, and if there are any questions, I'll do my best to answer them.

I'll be rereading and making revisions whenever I have the time to.

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[X] Alone

--[X] On an empty table

---[X] Remember the events leading to your summoning here.

You observe the dining hall around you, noting the high ceilings and the paintings it adorns. Flanking you, are sculpted statues of men holding up pillars of white and marble. The west side of the dining hall has depictions of the city's history, with one notable thing you see being a painting of a tiger approaching a dark, malevolent fog. The tall and imposing doors leading to the gardens on the east side of the hall are open, allowing you to look through them. You spot the setting sun while you're looking through those doors.

You see the tables getting filled in by the guard captains and notice some distinct groups among them. The general mood is celebratory, though with a tinge of suspicion and unease.

There are three tables before you, one occupied by Vogys and that fool from before, Vogoros. The two are accompanied by some stoic men and are having a polite and formal chat, though you do notice a tenseness within Vogoros. The other table is occupied by Araquo and some other captains with the same attire and demeanour as he, rowdy and vulgar. The final table hosts that barrel-chested man from before, what was his name again? Vera? Varar? Anyways, the rather tall man seems to be having a lively conversation with some other captains who are shorter than him.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

You find a table sequestered away near one of the doors leading to the courtyard. A small circular table with a few chairs placed beside it, each of them decorated with the fineries expected of a chair belonging in the noblest of buildings. It is adorned by candles that light up the area, a beacon under the sunset. You sit down and wait for food to come.

In the meantime, you look out and see the sunset, the sky darkening to a bluish orange hue. You feel a sort of déjà vu when you look out, as if the setting sun prompts your mind to dig up a long-forgotten memory. Like a child nudging you for attention, this buried memory of yours is trying to make itself known. It's...actually strange, the more you think about it. You don't seem to remember several things at the moment. Right now, you could recall a scant few instants of your childhood and your time as a saint. Hell, even your moments in Chaldea are starting to blur, and that concerns and confuses you.

You concentrate on that ever-distant ball of fire, dropping down to the horizon, in an attempt to dig up this memory. Impressions and vague images sprout up in your mind, coalescing into a singular picture. A picture that had been buried under the mud of hate that is the core of what you are.

You sit atop the walls and observe the Urukian sky, counting the innumerable stars that popped up now that the sun has set. Your watch on Uruk's wall had ended, and some other servant patrols it in your place, looking out for any demonic beasts hungry enough to attack. With a hand on your cheek and your back slouched, boredom settles in as your thoughts stray. The rustling of the grass and trees makes for a relaxing ambience. You like it, you think...

Your eyes dart from star to star until it stops and stares at a singularly bright one. Your ears pick out the distant click-clack of boots on the brick that comprises this wall. The sound nears you and stops right behind you.

Tch, just when you thought you would have the night to yourself, "Look whatever it is you want to say to me, save em for tomorrow. Beat it before I turn you to ash. "

A melodious voice replies to your threat, "Now that's no way to speak to your older sister. "

You wince, heavily, in disgust. Whirling towards the source of that voice, you see the holy maiden herself sitting next to you. Your counterpart, your killer. Her amethyst eyes stare deeply into your golden ones, while her blonde hair shines under the moonlight, making yours pale in comparison. The saviour of Orléans holds a small smile while she sits next to the one that defiled it. You.

"I didn't know you to stargaze Alter, how very ignorant of me."

"I'm bored is all. I bet you thought I'd busy myself burning some trees and bushes to pass the time. "

Jeanne nods at that which prompts you to sigh.

"Yeah well, Master wouldn't allow it." you say, "Said it would anger King Gilga-"All-the-world' s-treasure-is-mine-mesh. Bah! As if he'd care if a few trees are gone, that stuck-up bitch is too busy with everything else. "

The Saint covers her mouth and chuckles, the sound of her voice grates your ears. "Wait," she says, recovering from her laughter, "did you actually ask Ritsuka if you could burn some trees? "

"No..." You deny, "I...uh...-"

"Got caught in the act?"

You cough exaggeratedly and attempt to steer the conversation someplace else. "Anyways, what are you doing here? Don't you have somebody else to bother? "You ask your counterpart, trying to hide the annoyance in your voice while her knowing smile makes it much harder to do so.

"Aww," You're too late to respond when she wraps her arm around your shoulders and pulls you close, making her cheeks crash into yours. "can't I have a moment with my sister all to myself? "

You push her off in an attempt to free yourself, but her grip tightens, and she stays adamantly atop of you. "Get off! Who do you think you are trying to get all buddy-buddy with me? ", finally you extricate yourself from Jeanne's hold and put some distance between her. "Besides," you say, "I'm you, not your sister dammit! How many times do I have to remind you of that?! "

Jeanne brings her palms up to placate your bubbling anger, "alright, alright," she says "I'll stop. Hmph, you're no fun at all. "

"And you've been around Astolfo for far too long." You say spitefully, spitting the Rider's name out as if it was poison.

"That's fair," She chuckles lightly before her expression turns serious, "but believe it or not, I'm not here just to jest." Jeanne fidgets. She's quite nervous, it's almost pathetic. "There's something...important to tell you and ask of you. You see, um... "a pause settles in as Jeanne searches for the right words to say. She hesitates.

It's a sorry sight to your eyes. For the Holy Maiden of France to be so incapable of expressing whatever it is she wants to say. If it's so urgent, she should be able to say it outright rather than beat around the bush. You're becoming increasingly unamused and tempted to shoo her away. Your eyes are getting sore just looking at her. Hell, the longer she takes, the more you wish to throw her to that demon beast ridden forest and see how long she lasts. Maybe burning her would be a good idea too. The catharsis would undoubtedly improve your already ruined night.

"Speak up," you say, crossing your arms, "You're wasting my time."

Your annoyance seems to have gotten Jeanne out of her stuttering stupor, as a sombre expression replaces her previously flustered one.

She takes a breath that's neither deep nor shallow but a breath all the same before she speaks.

"You know...since this is the Seventh Singularity, the Grand Order will end soon. Once we deal with Solomon, it's over, we all come back to the Throne of Heroes, never to see each other again unless we're summoned to fight. Well… It's made me think back on my time in Chaldea, and how fleeting this dreamlike existence is no matter how beautiful it is. The people I've met, the servants, the staff, and the masters...I love them all, and they give me so much joy in return. But now that our journey's about to finish…I look back on the things we've done as a team, and all of the goodness that we did, and yet… I still feel that there's more to do, even when the end draws near. "

"Just get to the point "You grumble. It's hard not to roll your eyes at her.

"Fine. Remember when I asked you if you could recall those peaceful days, the days before we become the saviour of Orléans? "

"How could I not? You said it right before you jabbed your lance right into me. "You say, perhaps a tad too spitefully.

"Well, those sorts of memories..." Jeanne's voice faltered.

She pauses. Another restless moment goes by as her eyes dart everywhere before finally, hesitantly, they rest upon yours. "Those sorts of memories... I want to help you make your own. "

You stare, eyes go wide, and breath halted. You struggle to process the words you've just heard. "You're not making any sense "You began to say "…the hell do you mean by that? "

"What I mean is that I want to help you create those peaceful memories here, now, while there's still time. I...I want us to be closer, is what I'm trying to say. "

"That's impossible. I'm the witch, and you're the Saint, Avenger and Ruler. We couldn't be any more different. You should know this especially. We're incompatible Jeanne. We're the antithesis to each other's beliefs, we'll never find common ground. "

"Look, when I killed you back in Orléans, my heart ached for you. To see you, an aspect of me born from hatred and to have died still hateful...it hurt, but I did my duty all the same. "She's closer now, uncomfortably close and you find two of her hands grasping one of yours. You're mildly annoyed at her presumptuousness and contemplate whether or not you'd want to listen to her piece or just walk away.

"You were born as somebody else's mirror," she continues "to validate that man's belief of us and our betrayal. And look how you acted back in Orléans, committing atrocity after atrocity for a cause you never truly believed in. An unthinking idol of a madman, never wondering why you hate. A being of instinct and anger. "You shake her hands off and walk a few steps away. The other you seem momentarily stricken before schooling her features. Your heart blazes with indignation. Who does she think she is? To pretend that she knows you and knows what's wrong with you. "Even this anger you hold is meaningless, and it's not even yours either, but still, you act like it's all you are."

"All this stupid talk of making memories" You cover your forehead with one of your palms, "and you're off with a good start. Call me less than human while you're at it, I'll be sure to remember that. "

"Look--- "

"No, you look, you hypocrite. I don't care if you feel guilt over me, I'm Gilles's mistake, not yours. And I especially don't care for this mad scheme of yours to get closer. But since your naivete has gotten the better of you, which really shouldn't surprise me, I'll make it clear to you. "You step towards her in a domineering way, but she doesn't cave-in to your threatening stance.

You begin to berate her, while pointing a finger at her to stress your point, "I hate you, I can't stand you. You forgive yo--our killers, and go about your day wishing them good health. Then you go about preaching that the voice in your head was God, so it justifies everything you did during the war. At least I don't sugar coat my actions with faith and false virtue, but embrace it. "You grab the scruff of her battle attire, and she looks on to you steadily. "And what the hell do you care about me? The only reason why you feel pity and guilt over me is that I've got the same face as you do. "Your voice is getting louder now, and you could barely hear the rustling of the grass, too focused on the sound of your own voice.

Jeanne tries to speak up "No I-"

"Don't even deny it. You said it yourself; Gilles made me based on his wishes. There's no aspect of you in me, none at all. So give your pity and your guilt, and your "love "for someone else. You're an eyesore, a pain, and I want nothing to do with you. "A pause settles in the both of you are breathing heavily.

You search her face, looking for any changes in her expression, but she still just stares at you steadily. You barely sense Nobunaga standing on the nearby rooftops by the wall, aiming her many guns at you and contemplating whether or not to shoot you. Great, more people trying to ruin your night. You hope you haven't made that loud of a commotion, it'd be troublesome to hear all about it tomorrow. You release Jeanne and Nobunaga's guns disappear, but the Warlord herself still observes your every move.

"Well..." Jeanne finally says, "I just...wanted you to live a life of more than just hatred. You know... Before it all ends. "The Saint smiles a sad smile, but no tears appear.

"I'll live this second chance of mine on my own terms." You say assertively and proceed to----

You blink as the world freezes around you, the wind stopping and the bushes cease to rustle.

Wait, you scrunch your eyebrows, munching on the Volantean dish upon your table. You could barely recall such a memory, almost as if you've forgotten it completely. Images shift and transform as if the things that you remember begin to merge into a blurry image. You concentrate, and it becomes a slight bit clearer, Jeanne's smile can barely be seen, though you notice slender rivers of blood trailing down her cheeks. This memory that you have no recollection of, this paradox, it confuses you and throws you off-balance, until---

The image transforms into a blindingly white star. Ah, you think you remember now. This hidden, unbidden memory... You lay there, fading, in Solomon's Temple. The world is a haze, just as you remember it. Barely conscious and with three jagged spears jutting out of your stomach, you lay there dying, a failure and a witch. You never noticed before but you see Jeanne at the corner of your eye. With that same damnable smile on her face.

Something happened there, something you can't recall for the life of you.

You hear that same boom from before, and the world erupts into light. Jeanne kneels next to you and prays, holding her sword to her chest and closing her eyes. The flower-shaped hilt of St.Catherine, the true, untainted one, blooms, enveloped in holy light.

You make out the contents of her prayer,

"Oh lord I entrust this body to you

The heavens tell of God's Glory
The skies proclaim His handiwork
Speeches poured forth during the day and knowledge during the night
A fire has ignited within my heart and continuously burn to remind me

This is where I meet my end
My destiny now runs its course
My life's dream has reached its conclusion
Utilizing the last thing I have left at my disposal
I fight to protect the path He must walk
Lord, accept my sacrifice.

La Pucelle"

Fire.

Unchained, unimpeded, unlimited fire.

Spreading and dancing with impunity

Roaring all around you.

It envelopes you but doesn't burn you.

It wraps around you, but doesn't consume you.

Your missing arm grows back, but you barely register it in your dazed state.

La Pucelle...she died for you. For what? Why? What did that idiot seek to do? She should've left you to die.

This particular memory ends with you entering oblivion, as you close your eyes for what you thought would be for the last time.

My, what a peculiar state of affairs. An unreliable memory? What could've possibly made this happen?

[] Sift through more of your memories, what else is hidden inside your head? (Chances of being interrupted by one of the captains)

• [] The Saviour of Domrèmy
• [] The Witch and the Tyrant
• [] Reunion
• [] The Demon's Niece
• [] The shy Goddess
• [] The Ripper and The Nurse

[] Engage in a conversation
---[] name of who to talk to
---[] Your approach and demeanour
---[] Questions to ask? Points to make?

[] Write in...

QM Note: Heyo! senior year's been hell but I've finally managed to get this one update out. It's been a longtime coming.

First I want to thank @Macros for beta reading this update and helping me polish it, you're a saint.

Anyways, whoa, I've totally underestimated the difficulty of writing emotional scenes, as it gets really easy to make my characters do something contrived without even knowing it. But that's been fun and enlightening in its own way, sort a like a test of how well I know my characters and the direction of this quest. Hopefully, both Jeannes don't come across as OOC, or at least, the OOC elements in the two are well justified, and that the whole "memory" thing doesn't come too far from left field.

As always, I welcome any feedback you guys have on this update and see you later.

Vote is tied between leaving to check on Lera and remembering a moment between Jalter and Ereshkigal. Votes will lock some hours after a tiebreaker.

Also, here's a little sidestory I've been working on. It's a bit rough, so I'll ninja edit this during the holiday break.