Fate Altered Reality

Chapter 4

"Aarg!" Shirou collapsed in agony as the Command Seals on his arm writhed and ripped off.

"Come my Servant. Let us go home." Caster and the woman who had stabbed her faded from sight.

"Let her go!' Shirou charged forward, tracing forth Kanshou and Bakuya, like he had seen Archer do. Shirou had done Tracing before. The item never lasted more than a few minutes, But that would be long enough.

"Shirou stop - she must be Assassin!"

Shirou stopped, but only because his target had disappeared. At the same time Illya gathered herself back up, "Oni-chan, it is rude to leave without saying good bye."

Rin pulled out a pair of gems, "Yeah, well, this is goodbye!"

"No, stop!" Shirou interposed himself between Rin and her intended target, "Don't attack her - she's my sister!"

"Your sister?!" Rin asked incredulously.

"Luke, I am your father."

"What?" Everybody pivoted to look as Archer materialized, bruised and bleeding, but looking smug.

"Oh, sorry. I thought we were quoting Star Wars." He made small shooing gesture with his hand, "Go back to whatever you were doing."

Illya and her maid looked cautiously at the injured Servant.

"She's an enemy Master. She's a threat to you." Rin tried to step around Shirou.

"Not anymore. I killed Saber."

Illya's eyes widened as she turned towards Archer, "But not for long. Hercules has 12 lives."

"And can I tell you what a bitch it was killing him a dozen times over?" Archer stretched his back, "Sorry about the swearing. Where's Caster?"

"Gone - Assassin stabbed her and then they both disappeared."

The smile slid off of Archer's face, and he swore again. "Assassin must have a Noble Phantasm that steals control of a Servant. At least Caster is still alive, but I don't know what effect that kind of enslavement will have on her mind."

"I don't care about her mind, my concern is that she will decide to join Assassin," Rin retorted.

"She won't," Shirou burst out, at the same time as Archer said, "There is only so long any servant can resist a Command Seal."

Nobody seemed certain what to do next. "Let's head home. we'll take it from there." Shirou turned to his sister, "I am sorry we made a mess of your home. I would like to talk more, after this is all done."

Illya smiled, "I would like that as well." But something in her eyes said that it would never be.

Shirou stood there, not certain what to say, until he finally turned and started down the stairs. Illya continued to stand on the balcony, looking lost.

The trip back took much longer - the distance that took two servants (and one human passenger) about a half hour to traverse took four times that long for two humans walking.

Finally, Archer broke the silence. "We need a plan for how we're going to get Caster back" Despite looking like he had just wrestled with a steamroller and lost, he had materialized and was walking along side them. "But I am too drained of prana to do anything further tonight."

"Then dematerialize, baka! You will recharge faster!"

Archer gave Rin an annoyed look, "Sometimes, when there is nothing else you can do, walking helps with the pain."