Fate/Stay Night Fan Fiction ❯ Escaping Fate ❯ The Average One ( Chapter 9 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

AN: I’ve received a few comments that asked whether I based the plot or Yumi off of other sources.  For the record, I don’t visit forums—I just don’t have time—and don’t tend to base plots off of other people’s suggestions or challenges.  The plot to this story came primarily from watching an AMV (Youtube “Fate/stay night Incoerenza”).  Yumi came from thinking about the fact that in a post-Fate scenario, Illya would be dead or dying and leave a void in the family life of the characters.  Ideas about Yumi’s abilities in the story were somewhat derived from Satsuki from Tsukihime, which may become apparent as the story continues.  Isn’t it sad, Sacchin?  I’m stealing all your thunder.


Escaping Fate
Interlude 6-2
The Average One


“So, what is it you want to know?”
It truly was equivalent exchange.
Rin was always a little baffled by Lord El-Melloi the 2nd, also known as Waver.  Though he was generally kind and helpful to her as an instructor—even when most magi at the Clock Tower thought her family lineage too backwater to acknowledge—he always demanded gifts be brought from Japan whenever she traveled between the two locations.  Always the gifts had to be entertaining of some kind, and he specifically cited video games as his favorite.
Shirou had helped her buy a Playstation and two of the latest games to bring with her, picking them up on their way to Narita Airport.  It always occurred to Rin at the last moment, and she hated to admit the fact that she had no idea what she was looking at when they ventured into the department store’s electronics section.
So Rin had brought the gift, flew hours to Europe, and had gone straight to her teacher.
Who had promptly locked himself in his lab for forty-eight hours to delve into Virtual Fighter 5.
Rin set up lodging in the local apartment she used when making her visits, though instead of unloading material for her stay, started gathering up items she had left behind the last time: books on Mystic Codes, old scrolls with ancient spell theories written out, the three jewels she charged with prana while visiting, another Azoth sword that had been gifted to her by Waver for her accomplishments in the Grail War.  She had left all such things behind because they were somewhat useful on the occasion she studied in London, but with a Dead Apostle ready to spring up in Fuyuki, she might need any or all of them.
Now, she stood in the El-Melloi lab, books and tomes surrounding her, papers stacked on the ground high enough to reach her waist.  Waver sat behind his desk, thumbing through a paper that must be from one of his students, as he would shake his head now and then.
“I ran into a Living Dead intruding Fuyuki City, and I wanted to know if there was any information circling about recently,” Rin said.  Though the Church was probably going to have more information on such things, they did not like magi attempting to involve themselves.  “I have reason to believe it was at the behest of a Dead Apostle, and its master might have specific interest in me.”
Waver looked up from the paper briefly to meet her eyes, then returned to reading.  “No information coming from that Church Executor stationed there?”
“I left someone else to ask them.”
“The boy who won the War.”
“Correct.”  Rin had never fully explained to anyone the full circumstances behind the Holy Grail War’s ending, though she had confided in Waver the general facts and that Shirou was an amateur magus.  Waver had seemed less concerned with Shirou than she had thought he would be, as Western magi tended to be very biased toward those without lineage.  Though Waver himself was regarded somewhat of an oddity even if he was respected.  “I didn’t know if there might have been random inquiries about me around here lately.”
“Nothing more than the usual.  The Edelfelt girl complains as usual.”  Waver looked up again from the paper, and this time kept eye contact.  “The only other issue was indirectly related to you.  You remember Setsuka Yuushi, correct?”
Rin’s face darkened, and that seemed to be enough of a response.
“He escaped custody from the Church when they made to hand him over to us.  The Church didn’t seem to think it necessary to have anyone of particular skill transport him to London, and they lost him during a flight turnover.  They did everything to cover up their asses, of course, but had to inform us since he technically is ‘our problem.’”
Rin almost bit her tongue in the process of clenching her teeth.  “Lost him?  Brilliant, just…brilliant.”  She fumed for a moment, trying to arrange her thoughts.  “And what did the higher-ups have to say about it?”
“Officially, we’ve declared a Sealing Designation on him.  He’s to be brought back here and monitored.  His research is of interest to some around here, and they want their hands on it.  But there hasn’t been any active search declared yet for him, no hunters hired.”  Waver tapped a finger on his desk.  “Next time, have that Emiya boy decapitate him.  Save everyone the trouble.”
“If he even comes back my way,” Rin grumbled.  On the one hand, it made sense, as all of his research materials had been confiscated and stored in the Tohsaka house, though Rin had personally destroyed much of his notes.  If he wanted to continue without starting from scratch, he would have to come back to Fuyuki.  On the other hand, common sense suggested that Rin and whoever had defeated the magus to begin with would be on the lookout, so he should at least wait and bide his time.  “Unrelated to Dead Apostles, but thank you for the heads up.”
“As for Dead Apostles,” Waver shrugged, returning his attention to the paper, “You would know more than I on the topic.”
“Thanks anyway.”  Giving a quick bow, Rin considered the dangers.  Yuushi was dangerous, as he had personal investment in returning to Fuyuki and reclaiming his materials, plus if he was worth his salt in magecraft, he might have figured out something to counteract Shirou’s abilities.  This theoretical Dead Apostle, on the other hand, was dangerous, not only because of the abilities of the undead, but because its motives were completely unknown.  If she was going to clear this all up, it was going to take a lot of work.
“Tohsaka,” Waver called before she could reach the door.  “Are you sure that you do not want to study here full-time?  I understand that it is not the best fit for your lifestyle, but even I have to wonder if you are wasted in faraway Japan, practicing on your own.”
Rin paused, her head lulling to one side.  She had always thought that this would be her goal, that studying and proving herself in the forum of magi amidst magi was her calling.  She would blaze past all those that studied for years, even though she was nothing but a country bumpkin to them.  And she would take the Tohsaka expertise with jewel magecraft to the limit, and finish what her ancestors had been given.  With a little help from Shirou, she thought she might even get there within an acceptable amount of normal human time.  But whenever she was here, all she ever did was think of home.
And not the house she had grown up in, either.
“There’s…something I feel I have to support, there.  Maybe this will sound bizarre, but, I learned something from my Servant during the war.  Something terrible that might happen.  For his sake, I want to try everything I can to make sure it does not happen.”  Despite herself, she felt her lips quirking up.  “Don’t ever let anyone else know, but…I think it might just be the greatest thing I could do with my life.”
There came a chuckle from behind the desk.  “Funny, how film or television or the like very frequently use the term ‘risk one’s life’ for somebody or some higher purpose, yet they always seem to miss that ‘living one’s life’ for somebody may be just as great.”  Waver paused, and Rin could hear him throw the paper onto his desk, finished or forgotten.  “What was your Servant’s identity, anyway?”
Rin sighed, shrugged, and reached for the door.  “Just an idiot.”  She shook her head.  “Just an idiot.”